Behind Enemy Lines
by wikster
Summary: How Yerba changed everything. JORI.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi! So here's another story I've had for a while now.. I already have several chapters finished for it, so the updates should be pretty frequent, i hope :P **

**The Rating is T for now mostly due to language. I might bump it up to M in the future if this fic goes as planned ;) **

**Disclaimer: -_- NO. **

**Enjoy! **

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**Tori**

After what seems like an eternity of Festus giving me his brother's phone number, I head over to Cat and Andre to tell them about his offer to go to Yerba for semester break.

"No way! I'm down!" Andre says excitedly.

"Yaay! Traveling!" Cat exclaims enveloping Andre and me in a hug. "I'll go tell Robbie!" She yells as she skips back into school.

"Cool! Now I guess all that's left is asking our parents for permission." I tell Andre. "You guys should come over tonight and we'll do some Yerbainian research." I add with a wink.

"Sure thing." He smiles as we make our way over to the lunch table to eat our ravioli, or as Cat calls them, pasta pillows. Soon Cat and Robbie join us and we spend the entire lunch going over songs we could possibly perform in Yerba. Beck and Jade are nowhere to be seen and I can't help but feel a little relieved. I'm getting sick and tired of Jade constantly rubbing it in our faces that she's going to Cancun with Beck's family. Well at least now I can throw _this _in her face! Ha!

After lunch I make my way to the bathroom so I can wash my hands before heading to class. I'm so preoccupied with thoughts on how to get back at Jade for being such a gank about her Cancun trip that I don't even hear when said girl slips into the bathroom, walking quietly until she's standing directly behind me.

"VEGA!" she exclaims loudly right by my ear. I give the girliest of screams and jump about five feet in the air.

"Jade!" I shriek while clutching my chest. "You scared the chiz out of me!" She simply shoots me her trademark smirk while lifting her pierced eyebrow. She glares at me for several seconds before looking past me to the mirror that's mounted on the wall and adjusting her shirt. I'm about to walk around her and out the door but stop short when she starts talking.

"Tell me, Vega." She says still looking at herself in the mirror, now fixing her hair. "What's your favorite month of the year?" I furrow my eyebrows, wondering where she's going with this.

"Uh… well I guess my fav-"

"_My _favorite month would be this one." She cuts me off. "And you wanna know why?" I roll my eyes as I know exactly where this is going. "Because not only am I going to Cancun with Beck and his family, while you losers stay here and do nothing-"

"Actually, I'll have you know that Festu-" I try to interrupt only for her reflection to send me a menacing glare.

_"But," _she continues._ "_I also just found out that the play I wrote got nominated to be performed as part of the 'Young Performers of America Summer Theater Series' in Downtown this June." She finishes smugly. She turns around and leans against the sink, crossing her arms. "What do you think of _that, _Vega?"

I'm about to bring up the whole Yerba thing but a glint in her eye stops me. Underneath all her arrogant smugness I can tell she is actually apprehensive about my reaction. Not about the Cancun thing, but about the possibility of the play I know she had worked real hard on being performed in such a distinguished event. It's not a secret that Jade is extremely talented, in more areas than one. We've all acknowledged it various times and she never seems to care. So why the sudden interest in my opinion? She couldn't care less about getting anyone's approval. Much less Tori Vega's! So why is she still looking at me expectantly as if what I have to say matters to her? I could easily use this to my advantage and belittle her just as she always does me. Crush her dreams and accomplishments by making her feel stupid and talentless. But let's face it, I could never do that to anyone… even to Jade. For some reason, no matter how much of a gank she is with me most of the time, there's a part of me that still considers her a friend. And I often find myself trying to impress her and gain her approval. Why, you ask? Why would I continue time and time again to get someone that clearly hates me to like me? Or at least to not hate me so much? Well, the answer to that is… I have absolutely no idea. There's just something about Jade that makes me want to be friends with her. Maybe the fact that her affection seems so unattainable makes me want it even more. Or maybe I'm just a masochist. Either way, I'm sure that if she only gave me a chance we could be great friends! So that's why, instead of seeking my revenge with this perfect opportunity, I do the Tori Vega thing to do:

"Oh my gosh, Jade! That's awesome!" I exclaim clapping my hands together and smiling sincerely. Jade raises her studded eyebrow and rolls her eyes, as if annoyed that I'm not bothered or jealous. I know better so I decide to push it a little. "I'm so proud of you!" I spread my arms and walk forward with the intention of pulling her into a hug. Upon realizing this, her eyes widen and she stands up straight.

"NO!" she yells with such force I jolt back. _Ok, you pushed too far, Tori. _I tell myself. Her eyes are still wide as she slowly walks towards me, forcing me to step backwards until my back hits the wall. "_Never _touch me." She hisses two inches from my face. I'm sure I have an expression of pure terror because she smirks and doesn't step back. She loves to make me feel awkward and scared. "My, my, Vega... you're about to shit your pants when just a moment ago you wanted nothing more than to hug me. I never knew I could cause such a wide range of emotions in a mere five seconds."

"I-I just wanted to... uh, to congratulate you." I stammer suddenly feeling very small. "I didn't th-think you'd mind." The last part was barely above a whisper. Jade scoffs and leans in even closer, her eyes narrowing as she continues to glare at me.

"You didn't think I'd mind if _you _wrapped your filthy arms around _me_? Vega, please... I'd rather slip Sinjin the tongue than to willingly come into any form of physical contact with you." She spits. With that, she turns toward the door and walks out the bathroom, leaving me desperately attempting to bring my breathing back to normal.

Once my heart begins beating at a healthy pace, I make my way to class. As I walk down the now deserted hallways I began getting mad. How does she always do this?! _Every. Time. _Whenever I think I can attempt to reach out to her. Have her see me as a person and possible friend instead of this pest she insists on treating me like. Whenever I let my already weak guard down, she manages to destroy it even more. I don't know what I was thinking believing she actually cared about my opinion. She never did, and she never will. All she wanted was to make me feel bad, to rub any sort of accomplishment in my face so that I will always know my place, and that is, below her.

I sigh as I step inside Sikowitz's class and make my way to my seat. I don't know what was worse: the fact that I'm sure Jade will never see me as anything other than a floor mat, or the fact that deep down I know I'll never stop trying to change that.

**Jade**

"What do you mean I 'frighten the children'?!" I yell into the phone.

"Babe…" Beck's calm voice on the other end is just pissing me off even more.

"Don't _babe_ me!" I grow. "You promised me a trip to Cancun for semester break, and now you're telling me that just because your little cousins cried a little the last time I spent time with them we can't go?"

"Jade, they pissed their pants and had nightmares for a month." Beck answers calmly. "What the hell happened in that moonbounce?"

"Well now what the hell are we supposed to do this semester break?!" I scream, ignoring his question.

"That's what I was trying to tell you, I talked to Andre a few minutes ago. He told me that Tori got some sort of deal from Festus to go to his brother's hotel and perform for a couple of nights in exchange for an all expenses paid trip."

"I am _not_ about to spend my semester break performing in some shitty Motel 6 with the people I was specifically trying to get away from!"

"Babe…" I swear to God, if he says 'babe' in that fucking condescending tone one more time... "it's not a Motel 6. It's not even in this country. It's some place called Serba or something like that. From what Tori tells Andre it's a five star hotel surrounded by white sand beaches! Sounds cool. So what do you say? You interested?"

As pissed as I am that we aren't going to Cancun, the idea of staying here doing nothing while the dork squad gets to go on some foreign trip pisses me off even more.

"Whatever." I mumble after a few seconds.

"Awesome." I'm truly amazed at how Beck can put up with my moods so calmly. "Now, you do realize we're gonna have to ask Tori if we can come along right?"

"Beckett Anthony Oliver, if you think for one second that I, Jadelyn West, will ask permission from Victoria fucking Vega to do _anything_, _EVER, _you are greatly mistaken." I snap, feeling the blood boil in my veins. How could he even _suggest_ I do such a thing?! _Me, _ask _Vega_ for permission to come to her stupid trip to Lerba?! Ha! _She _should be begging _me _to drop all my plans and come along to make her trip worth while! Oh Beck... You really are a moron with great hair.

"Babe..." _Sonofabitch!_ "Do you wanna go or not?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"No! I don't wanna ask her!" I yell as Beck grabs my wrists, tugging me forward.

"Come on, Jade!" He huffs as he pulls harder. I can_not_ believe he's pulling me. He'd been smart enough to take away my scissors when I wasn't looking, because otherwise, he'd be missing a big chunk of his gorgeous hair by now.

"No!" I cry as he finally pulls me into Sikowitz's room where Cat had told him we'd find Tori. Sure enough, there she is, talking to the bald weirdo himself. When she hears our bickering she turns to face us, face scrunching up in confusion.

"We'll _both _ask her." Beck states letting me go. I know he's right; we do have to ask stupid Vega if we can come, as this is her deal and all. So I stand there quietly and wait for Beck to ask. Knowing Vega, she'll happily agree to both of us going through Beck's request and save me the trouble of having to ask her myself.

"What's going on?" she asks.

"My aunt says we can't go to Cancun." He states.

"Awww, how come?" Oh fucking Vega and her never ending niceness. She actually seems to feel bad for us after all my taunting.

"She found out I was bringing Jade." Beck says matter-of-factly, to which I just roll my eyes, 'cause I mean seriously! I still can't believe that lady...

"Ha!" I hear Mr.-Clean-gone-hippie scoff.

"So," Beck continues. "I hear some of you guys are going to Yerba?" Just then, I see a knowing glint flash across Vega's eyes.

_Shit._

"Yes... Yes we are." She starts, looking at me with a smug smile. "Would _you _like to come to Yerba with us, Beck?"

"Oh that'd be great, thanks." He responds with his easy going grin, to which she smiles and then turns to me. I stare at her and then at Beck. Why isn't she just including me in the invitation? She looks at me expectantly.

"Jade?" _Vega, you better wipe that smug grin off your face before I- _"Do you have a question for me?" _Son of a Jesus on a pickle... Tori Vega is growing some balls. _I stare at her for a few seconds and she stares back defiantly... that smug smirk still on her face. I know she has me. And she knows I know it.

"Can I come to Yerba?" I mutter while quickly looking to the side. I cannot look her in the eye at this point and admit defeat.

"Hmm.." _Oh give me a fucking break! _"Maybe..." _Maybe?! Vega you are reaching my limit and you _do not _wanna do that. _"But first..." She then smiles wickedly and stretches out her arms. "You gotta give me a hug..." Her grin spreads from ear to ear as she wiggles her eyebrows.

_You bitch._

I should've _known _that little bathroom incident yesterday wouldn't be quickly forgotten by her. I guess I never thought she'd have the guts to do anything about it though. Still, I have to admit, I'm kind of impressed by Vega. No matter how many times I put her down, she always comes back for more. She doesn't give up her pathetic attempts to befriend me. She's either very stupid, or a total masochist to willingly put up with all the shit I give her. I'd never admit this to her, but I kind of admire that about her. She never gives up. On the contrary, she seems to try even harder. Not only by putting up with my abuse but by fighting back occasionally, like today. Sometimes, I find myself seeking her approval just as much, because I know that as long as she looks up to me, she'll continue fighting for my affection. That's why sometimes I give her some slack, just enough to make her think she is getting somewhere with me, just enough for her hopes to rise just a little more, and then I yank that hope right out from under her feet, and make her fall on her ass. Yet instantly she'll be on her feet again, clinging to that sliver of hope and trying all over again. I know, I'm sick for getting pleasure out of her pain, but I can't help it! It's as though I can't stand having her too close and yet I can't bear the thought of her not being near.

Yea, it's fucked up, tell me something I don't know.

I look at her, arms wide and eyebrows wiggling. _You won this round, Vega. _I think. Still, I have to play the game; I can't just easily give in... That was her job.

"No." I mutter.

"Come on." She coaxes as if talking to a dog.

"No, I don't want to."

"Come on."

"No."

"Just do it."

I shoot her an evil glare and throw my arms open, letting her envelop me in a hug. Her body wraps around mine as she rests her head between my neck and shoulder. She feels exactly as she was: warm and inviting. I wonder how I feel? Cold and indifferent?

I remember the first time I let her talk me into hugging her. It was after she helped me with that play I had worked so hard to impress my dad with. The asshole hadn't even given a damn. Just pretended to not be so disappointed since there were people around. Still, the fact that Vega had been so proud of me made my father's disapproval not matter so much. That's when I decided I wanted to keep her around. That's why I gave her that small hug, which turned our sour relationship into more of the frenemy situation I discussed earlier.

I'm brought back to the present when she starts rubbing small circles on my back. Without realizing it I tighten my grip around her, bringing her closer to me.

"Aww see?" She says as she continues to rub her hand up and down my back. I want to let go but I can't bring myself to. Having her so close feels... "Giving Tori a big o' hug isn't such a bad-" I don't like this. I'm feeling uneasy. Like the balance of things is tipping. And not in my favor.

I start squeezing harder since I can't seem to let go, trying to regain some control. "Okay-" she chokes out. I feel her body pressed against mine even more. Tighter. It can't be pleasurable. It has to be painful, just like all other aspects of our friendship. Wait- friendship? "That's really tight-" _Jade, Jade, grab a hold of yourself._ I squeeze more and more until we collapse on the ground. "Oh! Help me!" she squeaks when I end up on top of her.

"Jade..." Beck chastises. He grabs my shoulders and pulls me up. I look down at Vega who's still sprawled on the ground with a pained expression on her face. She sits up slowly and grimaces at the pain that I'm sure shot up her spine.

"Ow! What was that for?!" She cries, looking at me with wide eyes. I stare back and smirk, finally feeling like the balance was restored.

"That was my thank you, Vega. For your generosity." I sneer. I grab Beck's arm and tug him toward the door. "We'll meet you at your house at 9:30 tomorrow to go to the airport. Make sure there's plenty of coffee." I call out as we leave.

"...Kay." Was the weak reply.

_That's right. Stupid, submissive Vega. Just how it ought to be._

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**AN: So did anyone notice that both times Jade hugged Tori in the Wok Star and Locked Up! episodes she's wearing the same vest? Or am I just being borderline weird and creepy for noticing such things O_O I just thought, hey, maybe she should wear it more often if that's the effect it has on her, you know? The fact that I'm putting my hope and faith on an article of clothing doesn't really help my case in the whole being a weird creep thing does it? U_U oh well, I will still light a candle in reverence to said vest. **

**K, so tell me what you guys thought! Like I said, updates should be pretty often since I have many chapters written due to the vast amount of free time I have :/ And don't worry, we'll get to the Jori goodness soon enough ;) this was mostly to set the story in motion. We'll be in Yerba soon buddy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey! I'm happy that people liked the idea for the story! :D I remember the first time I saw the episode I was like, oh man... this has so much JORI potential! X_X **

**Well, I'm updating this early in the day 'cause I'm gonna add the third chapter later on tonight since this one is kinda short, so keep an eye out for that later on today! Or tomorrow for some of you? I live in L.A. California so thats my time zone (I actually drive by the Nickelodeon studios where they film VicTORIous every day on my way to work! (Yes. Be jealous.) I can't tell you how many times I've almost caused multiple car collisions for distractedly gazing at it while driving... ^.^ I bet people just think I'm trying to pick between the many hookers that roam Sunset Blvd O_o**

**Any****_whore_****... I probably just lost half of the story's followers due to my rambling -_- So lets get on with it! :D**

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**Tori**

"Trina!" I hiss. "You're getting your smelly lotion all over my pants!" I push her lotion-covered feet off my lap and wipe my jeans with a tissue.

"Tori, look what you've done!" She whines as some of the lotion is smeared off her feet when I push them off. "I have to keep my feet up for fifteen minutes for the lotion to work and rid me of all foot wrinkles!"

"And why must you put them up on _my _lap?" I demand.

"We're on a plane, silly!" she says in a condescending tone. "There's not exactly a lot of places for me to stretch out."

"Why couldn't you just wait 'til we got to Yerba?"

"Because I want my feet to be wrinkle-free by the time we get there so I can show them off at the beach!" She explains while reapplying lotion on the parts it had smeared off. "And in order for that to happen I have to apply it every thirty minutes. Now, quit being such a rotten little sister and massage the lotion into my feet!" With that she throws her feet onto my lap again and wiggles her toes.

I let out a hopeless sigh and begin rubbing her feet, my hands making squishy noises as they push the brown gooey substance through the toes. I shudder and turn away to at least keep my mind distracted from my hand's activities. How I'm supposed to survive the 16 hour flight with Trina sitting by me, I have no idea. I'm beginning to question if the new car my parents promised to buy me if I brought her along is worth it.

I look around the fairly small and simple passenger plane we're on. There are only two seats per row as opposed to three. The aisle is very narrow and there are only two lavatories situated in the back of the plane. No TV's, no radios, no free Wi-Fi service. I'm trying to put off using my Pear Pod as long as I can in order to save the battery life but Trina is already driving me insane and we've only been in the air forty-five minutes. I glance at the seats next to us to see Robbie and Rex listening attentively to one of Sikowitz's coconut milk vision stories. I turn my head slightly towards the two seats in front of them and see Andre telling Beck about some girl from Northridge he had taken out to dinner only to realize at the end of the date that she had stolen his wallet, watch and socks. Beck and Jade had gotten into a fight earlier at the airport when Jade accused Beck of shamelessly flirting with the lady checking in our baggage just because he said 'bless you' when she sneezed, so they aren't sitting together. I turn my head to the back of the plane where I can only hear Cat's incessant chatter. Since Beck and Jade's tickets were purchased after everyone else's, the seats assigned to them aren't close to the rest of the group's.

"-and then this other time, my brother went to the aquarium but he broke into one of the habitats and did inappropriate things with the dolphins so now he has to keep a distance of at least 50 yards from aquatic mammals at all times. Hehe. Aquatic. That's a funny word. Ahh-quahh-_hehe_-tehhhc. My favorite part is the 'quah'. Look how my mouth looks when I say it! A_quaaaaa-" _Suddenly Cat's voice is muffled by something. "-buh am nof hungy-!" I hear her stutter in-between gasps.

"Eat the yummy pretzels." I hear Jade's irritated voice coax. "That's it, open your mouth."

I roll my eyes as I imagine Jade stuffing the salted snacks into Cat's mouth to keep her quiet.

"But Jade!" Cat says between coughs. "Pretzels make me thirsty and the lady with the mole said they're not passing with the drink cart for another hour, I'll die of thirst! One time, my brother thought he had died-"

"Argghhhh!" I hear Jade growl. I quickly push Trina's feet off my lap again, ignoring her protests, and hurry towards the back where Jade and Cat are sitting. Jade is slumped in her seat holding the bridge of her nose in-between her thumb and pointer finger, eyes closed tight. Cat happily dangling her feet in her seat like a child, her face and lap still covered with pretzels as she continues talking.

"-he fell through the roof into a cotton factory, so he thought they were clouds and- oh hi Toriiii!" She stops and looks at me with her adorable smile.

"Heeey Cat!" I say glancing at Jade who still won't open her eyes. Cat's gaze suddenly turns to my hands.

"Hehe. Why are your hands covered in brown goo?" she asks as she tentatively touches the nasty lotion covering my fingers, then takes her finger to her nose. "Ew! And why does the goo smell like Robbie's Grandma's house?" she cries as she scrunches up her face in disgust.

"Oh, um, Trina was making me give her a foot massage and-"

"Oooh I love massages! _And _foots!" Cat shrieks getting up and skipping over to my seat, but not before turning around and whispering back to us, "They're like weirdly shaped, tiny-fingered hands, hehe." She then plops down next to Trina, who without hesitation throws her feet on her lap and goes over the massaging instructions.

"Don't even think you're gonna sit here with that disgusting thing all over your hands." Jade states, making me turn my attention back to her. She still has her eyes closed as she reclines her head against the headrest of the seat.

"Oh, right." I make my way to the lavatories to wash my hands. Suddenly, realization strikes.

I'm gonna sit with Jade.

My head snaps up and I stare at my reflection in the tiny mirror. Maybe Cat will demand her seat in a few hours when she gets tired of Trina. Or maybe Trina will send Cat over when _she _tires of _her. _Perhaps Beck and Jade will make up and Jade will kick me out of the seat so he may take it. But as of now, I'm stuck with her.

I groan and bang my head against the mirror. _Why'd I have to come over and make sure Jade didn't send Cat flying out the emergency door?_ I curse at myself. Now I may very well end in that predicament myself. Reluctantly, I squeeze out the tiny door and make my way to the seat.

This is gonna be a long flight...

**Jade**

I feel the seat next to me shift and I know Vega is back from the bathroom. I keep my eyes closed and my head reclined. The plane suddenly does another dip when it hits a patch of turbulence and my hand grips the armrest tighter. It's been doing it for the past half hour but since it has been nothing major almost nobody seems to mind much. A little turbulence is to be expected in every flight I suppose. And yet I can't help the way my stomach will clench and my heart will race every time there's a little bump.

Yes, Jade West is afraid of flying, whoop de doo. It's not my fault I have constant dreams that involve fiery plane crashes. Sure at the time they're cool and entertaining but now… not so much. That's one of the reasons I didn't object when Cat left, I can tolerate that girl on a good day, but now I'm just too anxious, and her constant blabber about that damn brother of hers was putting me on edge. I'd much rather have Vega here. I can at least torture her for a while… that always seems to brighten my mood.

"Jade?" she whispers, like she's afraid to talk too loud. "Jade, are you ok?"

The plane dips again and my grip on the armrest tightens even more. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep, shaky breath. Suddenly I feel a warm hand cover my own. My eyes snap open and I look down to see Vega's hand gripping mine. I slowly bring my gaze up to meet hers and she gives me a weak unassertive smile. I'm about to question what the hell she thinks she's doing when the damn plane dips again. Before I realize what _I'm_ doing I let go of the armrest and turn my palm upward, intertwining our fingers together and squeezing her hand. I shut my eyes tight again as I try to will my stomach and heart to settle down.

"Jesus Christ, who the fuck do they have piloting this plane? A blind monkey?" I mutter through clenched teeth and press my head against the headrest.

"Here, maybe this will help." I open my eyes and see Vega holding up her Pear Pod with her free hand and motioning it towards me. That makes me realize I'm still clutching her other hand so I let go immediately. She doesn't seem to notice my slight awkwardness and if she does, she pretends not to. I clear my throat and grab the Pear Pod browsing through her music.

"Wow, Vega. I'm impressed." I say with a smirk. I see her lips flick into a tiny smile at my words. "I expected nothing but Spice Girls, Nsync, and Disney tunes but you actually- oh I spoke too soon." She peers over me trying to see what made me stop.

"Hey!" She cries. "The Lion King is a classic! I bet even _you _loved it and knew every single song!"

"Yea… When I was _five._" I snort. "I can't believe you have the entire soundtrack." I say chuckling as I continue scrolling. She huffs and folds her arms across her chest. "Oh relax, Vega. I think it's kinda cute." …_What? _

"..._What_?" she asks disbelievingly. And I can totally hear the stupid smile in her words. I don't even bother throwing her a glare to make her shut up because she'll see right through my blush. The words were out before I could stop them, I don't even know where the fuck they came from! I never voice my thoughts on Vega. Unless, of course, they're negative or insulting. Like I always say: If you only have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all. So on the not so rare occasion when I don't hate her singing, or don't feel like throwing up at her performance, or think she doesn't look that gross, I never said anything. Those are all thoughts I keep to myself, for I know that if I were to voice them she'd get the wrong idea and think I don't actually hate her. Which, I mean, I don't _hate _her, hate her… but I don't like her either. I can't. It'd throw the balance off and ruin us both. We can never be friends.

"Did you just call me cute?" she giggles. She fucking giggles. See? This is one of the reasons we can't be friends. I let out an exasperated groan and turn to her.

"_No, _Vega. I did not call _you _cute." I say, sounding disgusted by the word. "I said I thought the _fact _you had the soundtrack was _kinda _cute." She just shrugs and turns forward but keeps that stupid, knowing grin plastered on her face. I turn back to the music device and settle on The Beatles. Most people think I'm only into hard, dark, sometimes demonic stuff, but I'm actually a big sucker for the classics. I'm surprised Vega has their entire discography. So I put it on and press shuffle before shoving the ear buds into my ears and leaning back. My eyes flutter shut just as the music begins.

I'm off my game. I need to regain control of the situation with Vega. The little 'hand holding', and 'cute' incident are the ones that threw me off. To make matters worse, I realize I didn't mind them as much as I though I would. I _had _felt calmer when she put her hand on mine. It didn't hurt or make me feel sick. She didn't tease me about it or laugh in my face when she saw that I, Jade West, was afraid of a little turbulence. On the contrary, her eyes reflected genuine concern and understanding. And so what if she does have the soundtrack to The Lion King? It _is _a great movie. And yea, she _is _a 16 year old girl, but so what? Sikowitz still has his baby blanket draped on his chair at school because he says it gives him a sense of love and togetherness… (Apparently his mother gave birth to him in a kiddie pool in the middle of their apartment building's community room surrounded by their close friends and neighbors… Yea. Don't ask.) Fuck. These thoughts are all jumbling my mind. I clearly don't have such a big dislike for Vega. So why the hell do I try to convince her and everyone else otherwise? Why am I such a bitch to everyone that tries to reach out and be nice to me? Beck brought it up once.

_"Why do you hate Tori so much?" he had asked while playing with my hair as I layed on his bed with my head on his lap looking up at the ceiling. We were hanging out in his trailer talking about nothing, enjoying each other's presence. _

_I thought about it a while. In all honesty I didn't know. It was just my natural reaction to be a bitch to people who were nice to me. And well, Tori was definitely one of those. The only difference was that when others realized what and how I was, they'd stop trying and just let me be. Whereas Tori never stopped. I guess that's why she got more hate than others. For her stubbornness and determination._

_"Because she's too nice." I answered simply._

_"'Because she's too nice'?" He repeated. "How is that motive to hate someone? Shouldn't we like nice people?"_

_"Niceness is just a façade people hide behind. It's never genuine, never heartfelt. As soon as they don't have anything to gain with their niceness they throw it off to the side and their true colors show." I said, and I couldn't help but note a hint of bitterness in my voice. "Opening up to people like that just sets you up for disappointment."_

_"Hmm." Was all he responded and didn't bring it up again._

I sigh and shift so that my back is resting more at an angle and I'm facing the aisle. I open my eyes and look over at Vega sitting next to me. She has her eyes are closed and head leaned back on the headrest, tapping some sort of beat on her legs with her hands and I'm sure that if I took out the headphones I'd hear her humming some cheesy tune. I can't help but grin at the sight. I pull one of the ear buds out and to my surprise she's humming the song that's currently playing on the Pear Pod, 'Something' by The Beatles. I wonder if the volume is really so loud that she can hear it. Without much thinking, I grab the ear bud I had taken out and swiftly stick it in her ear. Her eyes snap open and she shoots me a surprised glance. I simply straighten up in my seat so that there won't be such a long distance between our ears and the headphones will remain in place.

Vega still seems taken aback. I smirk as I imagine the thoughts that must been going through her head. Questioning my motives. Wondering if this seemingly innocent gesture would turn into some sort of prank. Man, how much of a bitch have I been to this girl for her to get so nervous over such a simple thing? Maybe I should lay off just a bit. Be a _little _less of a gank. Enough to show her I'm interested in keeping whatever this… 'frenemiship' thing is we have. But not too much that she gets comfortable and feels like she can stop trying to win me.

Wow. Maybe I do have issues.

Oh well, it is what it is.

We continue listening to music for a while and eventually, Vega relaxes once she realizes I'm not planning on biting off her ears the moment she lets her guard down. The Pear Pod makes a beeping noise indicating the battery life is low. I yank out the ear buds from both our ears and wrap it around the device after powering it down.

"Battery's low." I explain when Vega sends me a questioning look. I put the device on her lap and mutter a small 'thanks'. Again, I can tell that it catches her off guard, as her eyes widen when she stutters out a 'you're welcome'. I smile to myself as I think of how torturing Vega with pleasantness is just as amusing as torturing her with hostility.

This is gonna be a fun flight…

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**AN: There ya go! :) Chapter 3 coming up!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So as promised, here's the 3rd chapter of Behind Enemy Lines! :) Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Don't worry, I won't ramble on and on about my life this time... Although I guess I could tell you about that time I almost-**

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**Tori**

Jade is freaking me out. She's being so… pleasant? At first I thought she was being nice to keep me from going and telling everyone about her being afraid of the turbulence and holding my hand. And though it would've been a good way to get back at her, I knew I could never use somebody's fears and weaknesses against them. Although if the situation were the other way around I doubt she'd hesitate to do it to me. Also, it made me feel sort of special to have seen that vulnerable side of big bad Jade West. And I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't almost jump in the air and do a fist bump when I realized I was actually able to be of comfort to her, like an actual friend. And though that's exactly what my goal with her has been for all this time we've known each other, I can't help but feel some fear at the fact that she is actually letting me. I expected her to snap back to her old mean self as soon as she saw I wasn't planning on revealing her secret. But as the minutes have gone by, I'm almost certain she is enjoying herself as much as I am.

We had listened to music for a good hour or so at first, and when she shut down my Pear Pod I feared things would get quiet and awkward, but to my surprise they didn't. The next three hours have found us talking about everything from school to who our favorite character on Power Rangers was. We're actually acting like friends. It's not like she's braiding my hair and painting my nails or anything. She'll still throw in the occasional sarcastic remark or mocking glares, 'cause I mean, she's _still _Jade… But it isn't like other times when her sole purpose of being in the conversation is to ridicule me.

Still, I told myself to be cautious and not get too comfortable in case this was all just a joke and she was planning on crushing my spirits as soon as I let them soar too high. She seems amused at my hesitation to just relax and enjoy our current friendliness. Sometimes I'm sure she'll say extra nice things just to see my shocked expression.

It feels real though, this Jade. I can't help but be amazed at how much more there is to her that I had never gotten to experience. Little by little, my fascination with this new found side of her pushed my fears to the back of my mind and I was able to fully embrace it.

"So of course my mom freaked out and insisted I be taken to see a doctor." I tell her as I pop another pretzel in my mouth.

"Because you were beginning to look like the mechanical spider baby from Toy Story." Jade adds. I furrow my brow and gape at her with a feigned offense. She smirks taking a few pretzels from the little bag we're sharing and nods for me to continue.

"Well, it wasn't _that_ bad… I still looked cute." I shrug and smile brightly.

"Yes, I'm sure those bald patches made you look like quite the little princess." She scoffs taking a sip from her coffee. I wonder if coffee and pretzels are a good combination. Jade certainly seems to be enjoying it. Then again, she seems to like to accompany everything with the hot beverage.

"_Anyway,_" I continue shooting her another dirty look. "Turns out I was suffering from severe stress."

"Vega, you were six." Jade states incredulously. "What could possibly cause a disgustingly sweet six year old, Tori Vega, so much stress she was beginning to resemble Sikowitz?" I frown at the comparison.

"A disgustingly… _annoying_, seven year old TrinaVega." I answer motioning my head toward the front of the plane where I can hear the faint sound of Trina's singing and Cat's giggling. Jade's eyebrow lifts and she nods slightly in understanding. "You know what sucks the most though? Ever since then, _every _time I get even slightly stressed out, my hair falls out!" I complain, tugging at my hair with my hands to emphasize my point.

"Vega, I hardly think your life could be classified as 'stressful'." Jade mocks, throwing air quotes on the last word.

"Oh you'd be surprised, _West_." I argue with an equally biting tone. "See this here?" I turn my face away from her, brushing some hair aside to reveal a small hairless spot behind my right ear and the base of my neck. "That right there, is your own little contribution." I'm about to turn back around when I suddenly I feel warm fingers softly touch the spot.

"You mean, I caused this?" I hear her ask in awe as she slowly runs her finger over it, causing an involuntary shiver to run down my spine. "That's awesome." She speaks softly, and there's a hint of… pride? in her voice. As though she's pleased with herself for having put me through so much stress, I now had a bald spot. I roll my eyes at how I should've expected this reaction and straighten up in my seat.

"Don't go beating yourself up for it now." I say sarcastically trying to fight a grin off my face.

"Oh, Vega, it's not my fault you don't get my humor and can't take my jokes." She waves a hand in the air dismissively.

"Yea, I'm sure that's it." I chuckle. She rolls her eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh before turning to me.

"Look, if it'll make you feel any better, I'll steal one of Robbie's wigs for you once we graduate since I'm sure you'll have gone completely bald by then." she says, grinning evilly.

"You mean you're not planning on letting up with the torture any time soon?" I ask with a pout. She looks at me for a moment. Finally, she smiles and rolls her eyes.

"Ok, Vega, all jokes aside." She looks at me seriously. "There's this phrase I've heard that I think will be very helpful to you and your… situation." She adds motioning to my hair. "You can take it as a phrase to live by, a motto, if you will."

"Yea?" I asked straightening in my seat, quickly interested in any sort of wisdom Jade had suddenly deemed me worthy enough to share with.

"Yes, it's… uh. Damn, I can't remember how it went…" She scrunches her brows, tapping a finger on her lips, trying hard to recall it. "It's more of the meaning of it, you know?" I nod several times encouragingly. "It means… shit, this is gonna be bugging me until I get it. It means… no worries!" she exclaims snapping her finger and looking up at me with a smile and wide green eyes as she starts remembering. "Yea! It means no worries… for like, uh… for the rest of your… days?" She says motioning with her hand as she speaks.

"Oh! I think I've heard it too!" I gasp. She looks at me and nods, encouraging me to help her figure it out.

"Yea, yea! It means no worries for the rest of your days. It's a…" she continues, closing her eyes briefly as she digs into her mind. "It's a… problem free-"

"_Philosophy_!" I cry, throwing my hand in the air triumphantly. I look at her with a wide smile, quite proud of myself for figuring it out. My smile freezes and my joy turns into confusion when I see Jade's face staring at me with an overly amused grin. She lifts her pierced brow, her grin turning into a smirk. My eyebrows join in confusion as I stared back at her. Why is she looking at me like that? I got it didn't I? I remembered it so why is she-

_Oh… my… god…_

My eyes widen and I can feel all the blood in my body rush up to my face as realization hits me like a pile of bricks. It must be quite a sight apparently because Jade suddenly bursts out laughing. And I mean _laughing. _Never in my two years of knowing her have I seen her laugh so hard. Hell, I don't think I had ever heard her laugh _at all. _Sure, she'll chuckle, or snort at some of the comments she'd make, but she's really going at it now.

I sit there, willing my face to go back to its original color, while in awe of the sight beside me. Jade is doubled over, trying to stifle her laughter by directing it into her lap. She tries to sit up straight and fight off the laughing bursts but as soon as she turns to look at me it'll start all over again.

A smile slowly begins tugging at my lips as I watch her. I've always noted how beautiful Jade is, specially in those rare occurrences when she smiles, but seeing her laughing like she is now takes her beauty to a whole new level. It's really a shame she doesn't let herself and others enjoy it more often. Even the sound of her laughter is enticing; it's so earthy, deep and yet light and fiery. It's so like Jade even if the action itself isn't.

Realizing that I'm staring makes my face flush up again. Right at that moment Jade looks up at me, sighing as the last fit of laughter dies down.

"Holy shit, Vega." She murmurs, voice still airy as she continues trying to catch her breath. "That was…" she looks at me and chuckles. "That was some funny stuff." I blush all over again, looking down at the tray where the pretzels lay.

"I hate you." I pout. I shift my eyes to look at her without turning my head and can't fight the smile that grows on my face when I saw her smiling back, amused.

"I'm actually kinda surprised it took you that long, seeing as it's on your most played songs and all…" she mutters the last part with a smirk. Blushing for what seems like the hundredth time today I swat her arm and lean back as far as I can in my seat while letting out a groan. She simply chuckles and pushes back playfully on my arm. "Oh relax, Vega. It's not that bad. If it makes you feel any better," she pauses and looks at me, a wicked grin on her face. "I kinda wanna listen to it now." She whispers with a wink. And it seriously cannot be healthy to blush so repeatedly in such a short amount of time.

Jade pulls out my Pear Pod from the pouch in the seat in front of me and hands me an ear bud. We listen to the song three times before the battery actually dies in the middle of the fourth. And every single time they sang the part 'philosophy', she would chuckle or smile while I would just sit there, pretending to be upset and coming to terms with the fact that my face may never again return to its normal color again.

We slip into comfortable conversation after that. And for a moment, I forget about everything else. The plane, our friends only a few feet away, Yerba… It's just this, now. Jade and I talking, as if we'd done it a hundred times before. It's so natural. So easy. Her jokes and taunts don't carry the venom they usually do. She's not trying to hurt me with her comments, she's simply being herself without restraints, without walls. I find myself relax instead of being constantly on my tiptoes, afraid to say the wrong thing. Scared that I'm being out of line or trespassing into forbidden Jade territory.

I'm like a kid who's finally allowed into a candy store after repeatedly being denied entrance, running around, excited and anxious to discover everything within for the first time. Jade herself is like a kid who swore to not like candy, always refusing to enter the shop and just staring at it from afar, then slowly making her way inside and cautiously but curiously looking around.

The two sodas I had drank inevitably took their toll and I excused myself to go to the bathroom. _Maybe this is it. Maybe all my hard work and perseverance has finally paid off! Jade and I are friends. _I think as I wash my hands with a big smile plastered on my face. I make my way back towards the seat but stop cold when I notice someone occupying it. I can see Beck running a hand through his luscious hair as he speaks to Jade next to him. _Should I wait? Would he leave? Should I just make my way to his seat and let them talk? _I walk up to them to get some sense of the situation. Beck seems at ease and although serious, Jade doesn't seem upset, so I figure they aren't fighting anymore. I smile and am about to open my mouth when Jade cuts me off.

"Scurry along now, Vega." she demands coldly. I look at her in confusion.

"But… I-" I stutter trying to grasp my head on the sudden change.

"Look, just 'cause I allowed you to sit here to keep from murdering Cat doesn't mean we're suddenly friends or that I want you around longer than necessary." She spits, her expression stony and void of emotion. I stare at her in utter disbelief. Pleading with my eyes that she'd be kidding. But she just stares back, sporting her signature smirk, daring me to say something. I feel like someone punched me in the stomach. This sick twisted feeling crawls through me as I realize this had all been an act. _I'm such a freakin idiot! _I curse at myself. How had I not seen through it? How did I forget who I was dealing with? I mean, did I actually think I could break Jade West? Jade freakin West? I realize then that she definitely lives up to her reputation as a great actress, because the past few hours sure as hell fooled me.

"I, um, I just wanted to get my Pear Pod." I say softly, reaching into the pouch and withdrawing it from the seat. "I'll be on my way now." I say with a weak smile, gazing once again at the icy green eyes. Beck gives me an apologetic smile on behalf of his girlfriend, as he's done many times before. "See you guys later." I murmur as I begin to turn to leave. Just then, I swear I see a flash of something that looked like guilt in her eyes. But it's quickly gone and replaced with her usual hard scowl. _Stop it, Tori. _I tell myself. _Stop seeing what you want to see and just let it go… nothing changed. Nothing will ever change. _

I slump into the seat next to a sleeping Andre and let out a sigh. I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling them burn with unshed tears. _Why do I let it get to me? I should be used to this by now, right? Then why the hell does it hurt so bad? _I think as I feel a tear slide down my cheek. But this wasn't like other times. This time it felt different. This time it _was_ different. I know it. That's why it hurts. Because I don't understand what happened. Everything was fine. Everything was perfect. We were perfect. _It was all in your mind, Tori. _No. I know it wasn't all in my mind. It couldn't have been. It felt real. _She _felt real. There is just no other explanation. But that's Jade West for you… undefinable. Unexplainable. Unattainable.

**Jade**

"So then she stabs her in the throat and closes the scissors sideways, blood gushing out in torrents all over both of them like a waterfall." I finish motioning with my arms. Vega holds her neck protectively and pales considerably, causing me to grin.

"In torrents…" she whispers, her brown eyes glazed in a faraway look as she imagines every detail of the scene I just described to her from my favorite movie. "Like a waterfall…" Suddenly she claps her hands together and turns to me, face completely rid of the disgust that was there a moment ago. "Which reminds me, I have to pee!"

"That is disgusting, Vega, I do not need to know what your body requires you to do with your bladder." I grimace.

"_You're _disgusted?" she turns before walking to the lavatory. "Jade, you just described to me in vivid detail, how a woman came back from the dead and managed to kill her two best friends with just a pair of scissors, but me saying I need to go pee grosses you out?" She asks disbelievingly.

"Maybe it's just the fact that I know it's coming out of you that grosses me out." I say in an indifferent tone. She shoots me an annoyed look accompanied by a smile before making her way to the bathroom. It's not until she's inside the lavatory that I notice I'm still staring in her direction grinning like an idiot. I snap my head back and look out the window at empty darkness.

I look down at my watch and notice I've spent more than half the flight with Vega. And what's more amazing is that I didn't hate it. At all. As a matter of fact, I quite enjoyed myself. For the past couple of hours I completely forgot why I've been trying so hard to hate her. To keep her at a distance. At first I was simply amused at how freaked out she got that I was being not so terrible with her, but then I noticed how much I was enjoying the pleasantness myself. It came easy with Vega. I didn't have to force it. And even if I wasn't overly sweet or caring, she seemed to accept it and thoroughly enjoy it too. I don't think I've been this open and simply myself for a long time… I frowned at the thought. The closest I've ever come to opening up is with-

"Hey babe." I jerk my head up and my eyes meet Beck's soft brown ones.

_Shit._

For some reason that is beyond me I feel panicked. Like I've done something wrong and I should feel guilty.

"Beck…" I stutter, guilt all over my voice. I tell myself to calm the fuck down and try to regain composure.

"Can I sit down?" he asks softly. My eyes dart to the lavatory and then back at him but I can't seem to form words with my mouth. "Uh… is everything ok?" he asks.

"Yea. Yea, sit down or… whatever." I wave my hand dismissively. But inside I have this feeling of culpability squeezing my chest. _What the fuck? Why am I feeling like this? I didn't do anything!_ Beck takes a seat and takes my hand in his. I look down at our intertwined fingers and I can't help but think of when Vega held my hand. How different if felt.

"So…" Beck starts, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Are we ok now? You love me again?" he adds the last part with a smile. It's this little thing we do whenever we fight. Going back to the time we broke up and Vega helped me get him back. _Vega. _Even then, after all the shit I had put her through in her first weeks at Hollywood Arts she didn't hesitate in helping me. At first, I had gone to her only so I could test her. I wanted to see how she'd react to me telling her that Beck didn't want me back. I thought it would confirm my suspicions from day one that she was in fact after him. But when she agreed to help me and showed no interest in Beck at all, just genuine concern for me, I was kind of thrown off. I hadn't known what to do, my plan having consisted of things I'd do _to _her once I proved her intentions with my boyfriend. It scared me the way she was still willing to be my friend. She should hate me and want nothing to do with me! But there she was… standing by me with that dorky smile on her face as I pleaded for Beck to take me back.

_"You love me again." I said as we broke the kiss._

_"Who said I stopped?" he responded with a smile before kissing me again._

That memory snaps me back to the present.

"You love me again?" Beck repeats, running his thumb over my knuckles. Up until now he's the only one I didn't put up the total bitch façade with. I could let my guard down and not have to worry that he'd dispose of me the moment he didn't deem me useful. I could see it in his eyes, he loved me. That's the only reason I loved him back. And yet, here I was, opening up completely to Vega. That honor is only supposed to be reserved for Beck! That's what makes our relationship work. That's what keeps me sane. For so long I worked on pushing people away, to only let him in. Lessen the chances of betrayal and bullshit. And so far it's worked. So far it's _working_. But if people see me opening up, to Vega no less, they'll know it's all an act and use it against me.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! _

"Who said I stopped?" I say faintly. He smiles and pulls me in for a kiss. I kiss back but I'm not all there. That's when I hear the door to the lavatory open and I pull back like I'm afraid of being caught doing something bad. _Ok, this shit needs to stop. _I tell myself. I'm so fucking confused. And I don't like being confused. I like to have things defined and clear. And right now, nothing is making fucking sense!

I can see Vega hesitate in the back before making her way to us.

_Vega. Fucking Vega._

She's the reason I'm thrown off. She's the one messing with the order of things. With the way things work. There's a reason I don't have friends, and there's a reason I specifically keep _her _away… Everyone knows I, Jade West, don't need friends. I've got Beck. No one else is good enough. Relying on others makes me look weak, vulnerable.

She stops by the seat with that big smile of hers shining bright and she's about to say something when I cut her off.

"Scurry along now, Vega." I say as coldly as I can. I need to nip whatever this is in the bud. I can see the confusion in her eyes as she stares at me blankly. I hold my icy stare, unfaltering.

"But… I-" she stutters. And I can already begin to see the hurt in her big brown eyes.

_Focus goddammit. Focus._

"Look, just 'cause I allowed you to sit here to keep from murdering Cat doesn't mean we're suddenly friends or that I want you around longer than necessary." I spit with as much venom as I can muster. She stares at me disbelievingly, almost pleading me to please take it back. But I can't do that. Taking it back means I need to acknowledge whatever it is that made me feel this in the first place. And I don't want it. It confuses me, makes me feel exposed and helpless. And Jade West is anything but that.

"I, um, I just wanted to get my Pear Pod." Vega finally mutters, voice barely above a whisper as she reaches down to get the music device. "I'll be on my way now." She continues softly, forcing a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. She turns to me one last time, eyes still pleading, still willing to forgive me if I just take it back. Something in my chest aches at the look she's giving me. And a quick flash of the past few hours rushes me, making me feel like a total piece of shit for doing this to her. But I quickly push it aside, _she _did this. _She _ruined it. She messed up the frenemyship we had. The one where she could be close, but not too close.

Resigned, she turns and walks away muttering a small 'see you guys later', and I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. I lean back into the seat and tightly close my eyes. This has never happened before. _Never _have I felt like total shit for mistreating Vega. It used to bring me pleasure to see her deflate and pout. But this time it was different. She wasn't just a bit bummed out or aggravated by me, no, she seemed hurt and disappointed… _Fuck._ It was different because this hadn't been like other times. This time I had let her in, and she had let me in. And we had just… _been._ For some fucking reason we had entered some sort of parallel universe in which I wasn't a total bitch and she wasn't annoying the shit out of me with her cheery self.

"What was that about?" Beck's voice suddenly reminds me of his presence. My eyes snap open and I look at him, attempting to keep a blank expression.

"What was what about?" I question indifferently.

"That whole thing with Tori." He says pointing towards the front where Vega had gone. "What happened, Jade? Why did you treat her like total shit?"

"You sound surprised." I said with a scoff, turning towards the window. I can't look at him and risk him seeing right through me as he often does.

"Jade," He begins in a soft tone as he again reaches for my hand. "I'm not stupid, or deaf. I could hear you guys back here. For hours you seemed to be enjoying each other's company. Talking and laughing even." He adds the last part with a smile and I freeze.

_He knew. He heard._

He reaches out to caress my cheek with his free hand while I turn my gaze to the floor before slowly turning to him. His warm eyes full of understanding. That just makes my stomach clench even more.

"Why are you so against her, Jade? Why are you so against letting people in? Letting Tori be your friend?" My face must show all the emotions I'm feeling because he lifts the armrest separating us and pulls me towards him. I set my head against his chest and closed my eyes as I feel his fingers run through my hair.

"I don't let people in, Beck." I say, surprising myself at how soft and weak my voice sounds. "Only you. I only want you in, Beck." Only he is allowed to see this side of me. I know he won't use it against me. He chuckles and kisses the top of my head.

"I know, babe. And although it took _years_, I'm glad you let me." He grins. "But there's nothing wrong with letting others in. People aren't always gonna backstab or abandon you. No one is perfect, and you're bound to have disappointments, but like they say, it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all." I look up at him, my eyes filled with confusion.

"But… I love _you._" I say weakly. He isn't making any sense. He simply smiles and brushes some hair away from my face.

"And I love _you_. But our love isn't the only love that exists. There's also love in friendship, and it's just as awesome as ours. Different, but just as fulfilling and gratifying." I stare at him for a moment.

"When the fuck did you become so insightful?" I ask. He just laughs and pulls my head towards his chest again.

"I just want you to be happy, Jade." He says as he goes back to caressing my hair with his fingers. "And as much as I try, I know that I'm not enough."

"But-"

"I don't mean as a boyfriend," he chuckles. "I'm talking about letting other people see everything that makes you, you. You're so beautiful Jade. Not just on the outside, but on the inside too. You're smart, funny, sweet…"

"Yea." I snort. "I'm all peaches and cream." He chuckles into my hair.

"Believe it or not, your sarcasm, edgy attitude and more than occasional bitchiness adds to your charm." He puts a finger under my chin and lifts my face so I'll look at him. "It's extremely hot." I swat his arm and lay back down on him, not able to fight off the smile that creeps onto my face. "But honestly, Jade. I'm not telling you to change who and how you are. I just don't want you to use it to push people away. Specially people who already see right through it, and are willing to fight for you. For your friendship." I know right away who he is referring to with that.

I sigh and close my eyes, thinking about everything Beck had said. Could he be right? Is what I felt with Vega an internal and subconscious need for… friendship? Man, how fucking lame am I that even the word makes me feel awkward? Maybe he's right. I mean it makes sense. All this time it's only been him, and I guess it takes a toll after a while. I just don't know how to be friends with people. All I know is Beck, and the love I feel for him. I don't know how to translate that into others.

I tolerate our small group. I guess I do care about them more than others, but only to a certain point where I drew the line. And most of them respected said line and never pushed further. Except of course Beck. Perhaps that's why I freaked out with Vega. She pushes and pushes. And today, I had clicked so well with her that I felt like I was replacing Beck, and well, that's just fucking insane.

"Your parents sure fucked you up didn't they?" Beck murmurs into my hair.

"You think I'm fucked up, Oliver?" I push off his chest to give him a warning glare. He smiles and pecks my lips with his before pulling me back into him.

"Is that a trick question?" he teases, earning him a punch in his thigh. "Ow!" he cries out laughing. "No, I think _they're_ the fucked up ones… and you just got trampled along." Beck is the only one that's actually gotten to interact with my procreators, save from that time Vega met my poor excuse of a father during the play I produced. I remember the first time Beck talked to them, he had looked at me with a face full of understanding. Not pity, just understanding. As if seeing them and how they were suddenly explained everything about how I was. At first I was confused, because I didn't even realize how terrible they were. I just thought everyone's parents were cold-hearted assholes and that was why you were supposed to hate them.

I could tell Beck had taken it upon himself to try and fix me. Again, I wasn't under the impression that I needed fixing but I let him try. Mostly because it was amusing as hell to see him attempt at making me a more bearable human being. Like with this, trying to make me see the value in people and not expect the worse in others. This goes against everything I've ever been taught. My mother has told me since I can remember not to trust anyone as it would only lead to my destruction.

_"Never let them in, Jadelyn." _She would say_. "The moment you let them in you become vulnerable to them. They dig and find your weaknesses, and won't hesitate in exploiting them, and thus exploiting you. You'll come to depend on them. Feel as though you need them in your life, when in fact, you don't need anyone. You come to know that as true when they turn around and leave you, without a second thought._

_"You just set your self up for disappointment and heartbreak. You can't depend on anyone; you can't allow yourself the luxury of caring for anybody that isn't yourself. Even with me, and your father, don't ever expect anything from us. Don't depend on us to be there for you when you need it. It makes you weak, it makes you stupid, and it will make you an embarrassment. Everyone can point out the weak, Jadelyn. You need to be strong, independent. You need to be a West."_

Best fucking advice _ever._ I never go to them for anything. And I've followed through with that advice for most of my life, my only exception being Beck. And yet there's always that fear in the back of my mind that he'll leave me the moment he had the opportunity. My mom's words taunting me of what an idiot I was to have let him in, in the first place. That's why I kept an eye out for anyone and anything that tried to take him from me. I didn't think of it as jealousy, per se, mostly just possessiveness over what is mine. Deep inside, it drove me crazy to think he would ever leave me, that he'd get tired of my shit and flee. If this is what it felt like to care for someone I didn't want to care for anyone! That's why I kept people at bay. And yet, it killed me to think that if Beck ever did leave me, I'd be completely and utterly alone because of it.

Shit, I guess those bastards really did fuck me up.

* * *

**AN: Damn, that was a long one! (That's what she said) I hope it was satisfying as well! ;D**

**Oh and just in case some of you live under a rock or something (not that I'm judging anyone's living preferences). The song that was used as the joke Jade pulled on Tori was The Lion King's Hakuna Matata. I'm sure everyone got it, but, well, just wanted to make sure it was clear :P **

**Next chapter should be up sometime tomorrow! **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hi! Thanks to all of you who review! It really _does _feel nice to know that people care enough to take the time and let you know their thoughts on your work X) (this cheesy emotional moment was brought to you by McDonalds, we love to see you smile) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Tori**

"Look Tori! The taxis here are pulled by horsies!" Cat shrieks tugging at my jacket sleeve with one hand and pointing to the carriage-like vehicle with the other.

"Yea look at that…" I say uneasily looking around. We had just collected our baggage from the Yerbanian Airport's luggage carrousel, which was pulled by a goat who in turned was pulled by a young boy. After rescuing Rex from the hungry goat's mouth, we had made our way outside to hail a taxi and get to the hotel. However, once outside we saw that, as Cat had stated, the taxis consisted of horse drawn carriages. And not the cute romantic type carriages. These were literally large wooden boxes on wheels pulled by one or two horses and manned by small foreign men.

"Good Gandhi! These people are years ahead of our time!" Sikowitz exclaims while putting down his bag.

"Yea, if by 'our time' you mean one million B.C.…" Jade mutters dropping her bag next to her feet on the sidewalk. My eyes meet hers for a moment and I'm surprised to see her also looking at me, but I quickly turn my gaze away. After the incident on the plane we didn't talk for the rest of the flight. Once we got off the plane I tried to avoid her at all costs. It wasn't so much that I'm too mad to look at her; I just don't want her to see how much she had actually hurt me this time. My mom always told me that my eyes were the ones to give me and my emotions away, so with that in mind, I kept them as far away from her as possible.

"Hey look!" Andre calls out from next to me. We all follow his line of vision and land on one of the carriages where a man stands holding up a large hand-written sign that reads: 'HOLLIVOOD ARTS – TOREE VIGA & BADYS'

"'_Badys_?'" Beck questions. "Is that supposed to say buddies or a nice way of putting badass?" he adds with a grin.

"Well I guess that's our ride!" I exclaim with as much enthusiasm as I can muster. I'm beginning to wonder if Festus had ever gone to Hawaii to be able to even compare it to this place. But I mean, it _is _night time so maybe it will look pretty in the morning? And I suppose horse drawn carriages _are _rustic and ecofriendly…

Oh who am I kidding? So far this country isn't looking very promising. The only thing that keeps me hopeful is the idea of staying at the five star hotel Festus's brother owns. The online pictures portrayed it as a lavish resort filled with top of the line commodities. Now, all I have to do is keep the group's spirits and hopes up 'til we get there.

"Hi there!" Robbie calls out to the man holding the sign with a wide hand gesture. "We are Tori Vega and buddies from Hollywood Arts!" He enunciates each word loudly as though that will allow the man to understand him better. The foreigner simply stares at him with a bored expression while chewing his gum. His thick unibrow slightly rising at the sight of Rex on Robbie's arm.

"So um, are you here to take us to the hotel?" I ask hesitantly. His eyes sweep over me from head to toe in a way that made me feel very uncomfortable. Suddenly he grabs my wrist and pulls my palm to his face, where he then proceeds to inhale into it profusely. Just as quickly, he drops it and motions towards the carriage with his head as he makes his way to his seat up front by the horses. We all stare after him in utter shock and confusion but as soon as we see him lift the reins and ready himself to depart, we hurriedly scramble to climb onto the carriage. Robbie just barely manages to jump inside when the carriage suddenly takes off at an amazing speed.

"Talk about hose power…" Andre mumbles holding on to the sides to keep from bolting out. Cat scrunches up her face in confusion and suddenly widens her eyes as she gets the joke. She begins giggling and pokes Andre repeatedly on the shoulder in appreciation of his wittiness.

"Sooo…" I begin when I feel everyone's glare on me, well everyone except Cat who is still laughing at Andre's comment. "This is fun huh?" I say with a nervous laugh. "I mean, here we are, in a foreign country, riding a horse drawn_ carriage_ to our hotel! Pretty nice, eh?" Nothing. "Eh?" I raise my hand at Trina for a high five only for her to narrow her eyes at me even more. "Oh come on you guys!" I whine letting my arm drop. "We _just _got here! Wait 'til we get to the hotel! The _five star _hotel!" We hear the man snort up in the front. I ignore him and turn back to the group. "The online site said there is an indoor pool, arcade, sauna, and that the white sand beach is literally the resort's front yard!" There's a long stretch of silence and I'm afraid I've lost them for sure.

"I call first on the bodyboard!" Beck suddenly exclaims. That's quickly followed by Andre and Rex both calling 'second' at the same time and Robbie whining that _he_ wanted to call second. Soon enough everyone is excitedly going over their planned activities once we reach the hotel and I let out a relieved sigh. I turn to Beck and he shoots me his easy going smile followed by a friendly wink. I mouth a 'thank you' and lean back against the wooden surface.

Thank goodness for Beck. Leave it to him to come and save the day when someone is in over their heads. He has the patience and understanding of a saint. It's no wonder he's been with Jade for so long. And it's not like I feel sorry for him. If anything, I guess I feel a little jealous. I mean, he gets to experience 'pleasant Jade' all the time, you know? Hang out with her when her guard is down. See the side of her that nobody else does. Now don't get me wrong, I do like Jade's mean streak and everything, I know it's part of her and all, I just don't like that she makes people think that it's the _only _side of her. And what wazzes me off even more is the fact that everyone settles for it! Everyone would much rather keep a safe distance and conform to her treatment, than fight back, fight for her! Then again, thinking back to what happened today I think maybe they're the smart ones. My mind keeps telling me that Jade played me, used my vulnerability against me and that the connection we had shared wasn't real. But my gut tells me otherwise. It just won't accept the idea of it not being genuine. It couldn't have not been.

I let out a sigh and turn my head to where I can see Jade leaning into Beck's side, smiling at something he's whispering in her ear. She chuckles and punches his leg playfully as she again settles her head on his shoulder, smile still in place. Suddenly her eyes meet mine, causing her smile to slowly fade away. I'm about to turn away when a certain look in her eyes makes mine freeze in place. It's a mixture of guilt, fear and confusion; all words _and _emotions that I would never in a million years associate with Jade West. Her eyebrows are a bit narrowed and her mouth slightly agape. My own brow arches in a questioning manner to which she just purses her lips and after a second of hesitation her face clears out the previous emotions, leaving her with just a thoughtful one. I can see an internal battle coursing through her mind as her eyes never leave mine. At this point I'm too enthralled to even think about looking away. Finally, after what feels like hours, her face softens, and there's a tiny tug on her lips, so faint I almost tell myself I imagined it. But sure enough, a small, tentative, crooked smile begins to take shape on her lips. Not one of her usual smirks, no this one is… genuine and apprehensive at the same time. Like she's hesitant to let me see it, afraid I'll reject it. But why on earth would I reje- _oh_.

It dawns on me then: _this is Jade's way of apologizing! _Well, as close to an apology as Jade can get. I'm so shocked that I don't respond to it. She sees this and her smile falters, but before I can react, the carriage suddenly comes to a halt and we're all shot forward, slamming into the front of the carriage and each other.

"We are here." The man deadpans in his thick accent. We stare at him in disbelief but as soon as we see him lift the reins and ready himself to depart again we scurry off the carriage. No sooner is the last person off than he's already taking off at full speed. After dusting ourselves and our baggage off we all gaze at the structure in front of us. The hotel is completely made of stone and resembles an old castle. It sits atop a huge cliff with a dirt trail leading all the way to the bottom, where _we _are currently standing.

"I am _not _going to walk all the way up that hill in these heels!" Trina cries after a beat of silence.

"Who even travels in heels?" I hear Beck question. Suddenly everyone starts talking and complaining at once.

"-heels portray a woman's confidence and-"

"-have to drag our luggage all the way up there?!"

"-that I'm allergic to walking-"

"-time my brother ate my purple heels and-"

"-can't remember a time when this wasn't happening-"

"-need to not bug out now-"

"-those palm trees have delicious coconuts in them-"

"-no one likes you!"

"_GUYS!" _I yell. Everyone quiets down and looks at me. "The sooner we get up there, the sooner we can rest! So let's tough it out and get this done." With that I turn around and begin the climb up the trail. After a couple of groans and whines I hear feet shuffling behind me. We continue our ascend in silence, the only noise being our heavy breathing and the distant sound of waves crashing.

"Wow guys look!" Andre suddenly exclaims. I stop and turn to where he's pointing and gasp. We had been so preoccupied in looking down at the path we were on to keep from tripping, that we had failed to look at our surroundings. At our current altitude the view from the trail is breathtaking. The moon shines brightly overhead, illuminating the vast ocean around us. Tropical trees and plants line the cliff's edge and fireflies hover over the entire land giving it an eerie but beautiful glow. It truly is a gorgeous sight. With renewed spirits, we finish the climb and arrive at the hotel's entrance chatting excitedly. As soon as we enter the lobby however, everyone stops talking.

I quickly look around, everything is old and worn, the couches are torn and patched up, and the walls are covered in ancient looking drapes. There are strange artifacts displayed in every direction, from stuffed animals to medieval cages and tools. All the furniture seems to belong in the 16th century and there is a peculiar smell emanating from somewhere. A man snoring loudly on a chair instantly becomes my number one suspect.

"This dump is our hotel?" Andre cries dropping his suitcase by one of the old couches.

"Yea…" I say uneasily, as I continue looking around in shock and disgust.

"Gross!" Trina hisses.

"Now I'm kinda glad I don't remember this place." Sikowitz exclaims from the door. Wow. You know something has crossed the weird line when even Sikowitz himself finds it disturbing.

"Hello!" a short man wearing a tan suit suddenly appears. "Hello to you buddies!" He introduces himself as Festus's brother, Scradis. He then approaches me and does that weird palm sniffing thing again! What the heck is up with people sniffing my hand?! I jerk it away with a disgusted look.

"_Why?_" I question. Before Scradis can answer, Cat steps forward with her Pear Pad in hand.

"It's a Yerbanian custom." She states pointing to her device. "See? It says: 'In Yerba, when people greet each other, they will often sniff each other's hands as a sign of friendship.' Hehe." I see Robbie do it to Rex in the background and a loud groan from Rex is heard. I turn to Scradis to see him put his own palm up by my face, expecting me to return the action. I politely turn it down. Seemingly unfazed by it, he proceeds to ask us what we think of his hotel. We all look around uneasily without saying anything. I mean, what can we say? The place is gross and ugly! But of course we can't just go out and say such-

"It's disgusting!" I hear the all too familiar voice of Jade exclaim.

_Of course_.

Thankfully, Scradis doesn't seem to catch it. After saying he would get someone to help us with our luggage, he disappears in the back room. As soon as he's gone everyone starts to complain.

"Ok, this isn't my fault!" I exclaim, immediately getting defensive at the looks everyone is giving me.

"Yea it is." Jade shoots back.

"How was I supposed to-" I'm cut off by Scradis entering the room with Kreploc, a man wearing a bright yellow jacket and eating some sort of sandwich. He looks me up and down just like the carriage driver had and all I can think of is that if he even _dares _sniff my hand I will beat him with the stuffed squirrel-thing on the table next to me. Seeing as though he has no intentions of doing so, I introduce myself.

Halfway through our greetings however, the door to the lobby bursts open and a group of men dressed in military uniforms rush in, blowing whistles and shouting angrily in a foreign language. I see Andre throw himself on the ground and everyone begins running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Out of the corner of my eye I see Kreploc throw his sandwich in the air and start babbling something unintelligible. The soldiers seem to be heading straight to me so I jump onto a couch and out of the way. They instead seize Kreploc and drag him out of the hotel by force, all while he screams for us to help him. All I can do is stare after him as they left, slamming the door shut upon their exit.

I feel like my heart is beating out of my chest. I look around and see that everyone is in the same state I find myself in. Robbie and Rex on the floor, with Andre on the other side of the table. Trina is by the couch next to me and Sikowitz's behind us, his hair more tousled than usual. Cat, Beck and Jade all stand by the reception desk with Scradis and look equally startled.

What the hell have I gotten us into?

**Jade**

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

This dump is seriously considered a _five_ star hotel?! Out of how many? _A million?_ I'm standing with Beck by the reception area looking at the picture of an actual resort on the wall.

"You know?" he says studying the picture. "I think that's the hotel we were gonna stay at in Cancun." I shoot him the most venomous glare I can manage and he simply shrugs and raises his arms in surrender, walking away to sit on one of the couches. I walk towards a shelf that contains random ancient tools and knick knacks. Bored, I turn my gaze to the front desk, where Vega is currently talking to Scrappy, or whatever the fuck his name is. I can't hear what they're saying but Vega has a worried look on her face and I swear if she bites her lip any harder it'll fall off. I smirk a little at seeing her current frazzled expression.

After my conversation with Beck on the plane, and much thinking, I decided to give this whole "friendship" thing a chance. I mean, it hadn't been horrible hanging with Vega on the plane… I actually quite enjoyed it. I never really had a lot of chick friends… well, I actually never really had many friends, period, for reasons I've previously explained. But I always found it difficult to get along with girls in particular. I guess guys are just easier to handle for me, I know how to please them so with a little flirting here, a small seductive glance there, I have them eating out of the palm of my hand. Wait, that's not a friendship either huh? Ugh, whatever. Point is my social skills clearly suck ass. So this is completely new territory. But being with Vega had awoken some type of need in me. And what Beck had said really did make sense.

I'm not gonna lie though, it does scare the absolute shit out of me to even _consider _opening up to anyone. And like Beck stated before, it took _years _for me to let him in. But it paid off. He proved to me that he could be trusted, and I love what I have with him. But he makes a good point. Sometimes he isn't enough. There's things that I just can't come to him with, first of all 'cause he's a guy, and secondly because he's my boyfriend. I guess that's why girls insist on having at least one friend of their own sex. Hell, even boys do it. Beck hangs with Andre sometimes, to do guy stuff, whatever the fuck that is. Probably jerk off to Victoria's Secret commercials… Speaking of Victoria, here she comes now. And why the fuck is she carrying two screw drivers on a chain?

"Well?" I ask. Ever since the incident on the plane she's been avoiding me. I tried to make peace through a silent understanding on the carriage and she seems to be less on edge but I'm still not sure where she stands on this whole deal. I've never been good with the whole apology stuff so it's really hard for me to know what's gonna happen next.

"Here are the keys to your rooms…" she says with her dorky nervous laugh. I simply glare at her.

"Those are screw drivers." I deadpan.

"I know…" she says hesitantly, "he said to stick it in the key hole and jiggle it." I roll my eyes and take it from her while Sikowitz suddenly approaches.

"What did he say about the indoor swimming pool?" he asks wearing large goggles. Vega hesitates before answering.

"Well… uh, apparently," she begins nervously. "this country is sort of… 'at war', so the swimming pool here is actually filled with… ammunition." She finishes and looks away. I feel my pace quicken as my frustration rises.

"And where's the white sand beach?" I question. To which Sikowitz follows immediately.

"Yea where's the beach?" he removes his large goggles only to reveal smaller ones underneath.

"It's uh… It's been taken over by rebels." she informs us.

_Count to ten, Jade. Count to ten._

"Ok," o_ne, "_so before you booked our trip here_," two, "_you forgot to find out_," three, "_that this is the_ worst _country on _earth?" _ _Four. Ok, that could've been worse. _I mentally congratulate myself. After a beat of silence, Tori looks to the side and blurts out a 'yea'. I simply nod my head in resignation.

"Jade, don't be such a Crabby Cathy…" Sikowitz chastises.

"I have every right to be a Crabby Ca-" I stop in the middle of my sentence when I see Beck on the couch with two Yerbainian whores all over him. _FivesixseveneightninetenFUCK IT. _"Uh, Crabby Cathy is about to get _a little bit _crabbier." I warn as I make my way to them. It doesn't take long to scare them off. After a little hissing match they run along and crawl back into the holes they came from. Beck just shrugs at me apologetically and I throw him an 'I'll deal with you later' look. Right about then Trina and Robbie come in and start complaining about the rooms and then some other stuff that I couldn't care less about happens. Something about Andre getting bit by some sort of vampire thing. That kinda got my attention but as soon as I heard moth I tuned them all out again. The guys and Sikowitz started heading to their rooms, but Trina dragged Cat off to where she thought she had seen the gift shop, saying she wanted to avoid going back to the room for as long as possible. That left Tori and I standing awkwardly in the lobby.

"I guess we should go get settled." She says, and turns towards the elevators, which I have to admit I was surprised this so called hotel even had. We're both quiet for a while as the elevator starts its ascend.

"Listen Jade-"

"Look Vega-"

We both speak at the same time. I purse my lips and she smiles, motioning for me to go first just when I give her a nod to continue. Again we're quiet for a moment. She laughs awkwardly and looks down at her feet. I roll my eyes and step out of the elevator when it finally reaches our floor. Vega follows me quietly and once we reach our door she proceeds to insert the screw driver and jiggle it. Sure enough, the door swings open. And let me just tell you, the rest of the hotel is the Four fucking Seasons compared to this shitty ass room. The walls are covered in dark, dirty drapes, the bathroom consists of a dirty toilet and a metal tube sticking out of the wall which I'm assuming works as the shower. The sink is literally a bucket of water on a table. The carpet is dirty and I probably will never know what its original color was. The bed is tall and wide but has springs sticking out everywhere. The blanket is made up of various burlap sacks sewn together. And to make matters even lovelier, our huge window has a first row view of the battle ensuing outside. What's weird though, is that even though we went up a few floors, there's flat ground right outside our window, leading into the woods. I guess our room is on the side of the hotel that is built into the cliff so the levels are different.

"Well, this certainly ain't no honeymoon suite, that's for sure…" I mutter as I fling my suitcase on the bed. I turn and look at Vega, who is still taking in the room. Her eyes finally come around to mine and she begins getting fidgety again.

"Look Vega," I begin. "About earlier today, on the plane. I… It was stupid ok? So let's just-"

"'It was stupid?'" She questions, her eyebrows furrowed. There's a hint of anger in her tone. _Oh so I guess she hasn't forgiven me. _"What was stupid, Jade? The fact that you totally humiliated me and made me feel like crap or the fact that I was stupid enough to fall for your game?"

"Hey, now! Why are you getting all defensive? I already apologized!" I throw my hands up defensively and walk away towards the dresser. Of course Vega would make this harder than it has to be.

"What? No you didn't!" she cries. "Not properly anyway!" I groan loudly and turn to face her again. She has her hands on her hips and is glaring at me. "You _smiled _at me Jade, and as hard as I know that must've been for you to even manage, it doesn't make it an apology." She drops her arms and sits on the bed, letting out a loud sigh. "What happened today, Jade? We were having so much fun… We, we were _getting along_! You know what a big deal that is for us?" She motions between me and her, meeting my eyes again, but I can't keep her gaze, so I look down at my feet. "What a big deal that is for _me_?" she adds softly. My eyes snap up at her again. She's fidgeting with the bottom part of her shirt, head down. _Ugh. _I hate this. I hate this feeling of guilt, this damn helplessness tugging me in different directions. Maybe I was wrong in thinking I need this. Maybe this isn't worth it. Maybe _she_ isn't worth it.

"What do you want from me, Vega?" I snap. She looks up, startled by my sudden change. "What do you want me to do? Huh? Want me to cry? _Beg _for your forgiveness? Because if that's what you want then you can just take that screw driver and shove it up your-"

"I want you to tell me if it was real." she says getting up from the bed and turning to face me. I stare at her, and she stares right back. Her expression firm, unfaltering.

"What are you-"

"I need you to tell me if it was real, back on the plane, us. Or if it was just you screwing with me." Her eyes remain on mine, drilling me for the truth.

This is it. This is what I wanted. If I just say it, if I just tell her that it _was _real, she'll forgive me. She'll forgive me and we'll be ok. We'll be friends. That's what I wanted isn't it?

_Then why the fuck is it so hard to do_?

I open my mouth, just to close it again when nothing comes out. I try again but nothing intelligible is produced. Her shoulders drop. And I can see the immense hurt flash across her eyes before she finally tears her gaze away from mine. She turns from me and hangs her head.

"Forget it." She mutters. She's quiet for a few seconds, and all I can do is stand there, looking at the back of her head like an idiot. I want to say something, tell her that I'm sorry, that I just don't know how to do this, that I probably need her more than she needs me. And that it scares the shit out of me to even admit this to myself, even more so to her. But that very fear paralyzes me, and keeps those words unspoken. Suddenly she lets out a loud harsh laugh, startling me. "You're right." She scoffs, turning to look at me, and I see her eyes glisten with unshed tears. "It _was _stupid. It _was_ stupid for me to think that you could ever change. That you would suddenly stop hating me and finally accept me. God, I'm such an idiot…" she shakes her head and smiles bitterly. "I just… I just didn't wanna give up on you, you know?" she looks up at me again, her face contorted in pain. A tear finally breaks free and slides down her cheek. "I didn't want to risk missing out on something great by giving up on you." My heart clenches and I feel like I'm about to puke. "'Great.'" She repeats. "I thought we could be _great _friends…" she shakes her head again, as if the idea is ridiculous. "And you know what the best part is? What the cherry on top of this crapfest of a sundae is?" She pauses as though she's giving me a chance to respond, but I couldn't speak even if I wanted to at this point. "That I don't regret a single second of it. That I would go through it all again in a heartbeat if only to relive those moments with you, knowing full well that they weren't real. And you wanna know why, Jade?" Silence. "Because to _me_ they were." She whispers.

Something breaks. Something cracks within me, something hard and cold. I feel as though I can't breathe. Like my chest is contracting in itself keeping all the oxygen out. My body goes numb as emotions I didn't even think I was capable of feeling rush me, and it's too much. It's just too much. I don't understand them. I don't know what they mean._ What the fuck is going on? _

My face is clearly doing a fantastic job at hiding the emotional turmoil taking place within me, remaining a hard stoic outer shell, because Vega simply stares at me disbelievingly. Hell, I bet even me punching her in the face right now would be a more expected response than my utter silence. She shakes her head once more, this time in disappointment, and turns to walk out the door. A wave of fear jolts through my body bringing it out of its catatonic state.

"W-wait!" I blurt out, taking a step forward. She stops but doesn't turn around. I still have no idea what to say. I know what I _should _say; I know what I _want _to say, but I can't seem to put it together in actual words. Afraid she's gonna try and leave again, I make my way up to her cautiously, as to not scare her away. She's giving no hint of turning to face me, so I hesitantly go around her 'til I'm standing in front of her. Her face is down, but I can still see the shimmer in her eye as I'm sure she's fighting back more tears. _Do something, Jade. Do something, goddammit! _She slowly lifts her face, and drags her eyes to mine. And once I look into her eyes, all my doubts disappear, and I know that Beck was right. That it _is_ worth it. That _she's _worth it.

"It was real." I mutter. "All of it. Well, except the part at the end, that was just me being a scared little bitch, and for that I'm-" I close my eyes and let out a slow shaky breath. _Here we go. _"And for that I-I'm… fuck… I'm-I'm sorry, Tori."

I slowly open my eyes and search for hers. She's frozen in place looking back at me. Her eyes shifting quickly between my own, searching, probing for the truth. I feel myself blush and look away. I cannot believe I just said that. The words felt so foreign leaving my lips. But I can't deny that it feels... pleasant. It's a sort of unburdening feeling. And I can suddenly breathe again.

"You… you just-" she finally stutters.

"Yes, yes, I know what I just said, ok? And I actually meant it so just-"

"You called me Tori." She says softly, a smile slowly creeping onto her face. My head snaps back up, eyes scrunched up in confusion.

"If that's all you gathered from that statement I'm gonna be really upset 'cause I won't repeat it." I tell her.

"No, no, I heard, I heard." She says motioning with her hands. "It's just, you almost _never _call me Tori…" she smiles wider, if that's even possible. "That's actually how I can tell you meant it." I look at her like she's gone crazy. But I can't fight the smile that suddenly pulls at my lips.

"Yea," I say looking her in the eye. "I really meant it, _Tor-ee." _I chuckle and shake my head when she gives me another dorky smile at the mention of her name.

Just then, Cat and Trina come running in, completely out of breath, and a look of fear on their faces.

"What happened?" Tori questions in a worried tone, wiping at her eyes for any remaining tears. The other two girls too panicked to notice.

"They- they-" Trina manages in-between breaths. "They took the gift shop clerk!"

"They? They who?" I ask looking over at Cat who is doubled over with her hands on her knees, trying to regain her breath.

"The soldier men!" she cries. "They took her!" I roll my eyes and gather my PJ's so I can go change in the bathroom while they excitedly tell the story.

After changing I open the door and begin to brush my teeth over the bucket. Vega comes in with her own toothbrush and stands next to me while applying tooth paste to it. She meets my gaze in the small mirror mounted on the wall over the bucket and throws me a small smile. I smirk at her and continue brushing my teeth, still holding her gaze in the mirror. We simply stare at each other's reflections in silence for a minute or so before she speaks.

"So…" she drawls in a low voice, as to not be heard by the two girls in the next room. "Does this mean we're… _friends_ now?" She says biting her bottom lip and wiggling her eyebrows. I stop the brushing motions and gawk at her.

"Just brush your teeth, Vega." I say through a mouthful of foamy toothpaste. I see her pout as I bend down to spit out. She begins brushing her own teeth as I dry my mouth with the towel, still looking at her reflection. I turn to walk out, but stop at the door, spinning on my heel so I'm facing her again, a small smile on my own lips.

"Yes." I say, and I see her head jerk up towards me, toothpaste dripping from her mouth. "Yes it does." And with that I walk back into the room and head for the bed. But not before hearing a small happy squeal come from behind me. I roll my eyes and don't even try to hide the biggest smile I've given all day.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

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**AN: So I don't know when the next update will be up... I thought I had more chapters done but apparently I only had 4 -_- My goal was to post a new one every day... but maybe it'll be every two days? I don't know, we'll see how my brain and hands are working to get them done faster. Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hi! So a couple of things... This ****_IS_**** a JORI romance. I know it seems to be going slow which makes it seem more like a JORI friendship story... but no, don't worry. We'll get some JORI lovin' going soon. ;D I guess I'm just the type of sappy romantic that likes to go through the whole long and arduous process of falling in love... that way, the wait makes the revelation that much better! Well, that's how I see it anyway O_o But it'll happen, don't worry! **

**Secondly, as a reviewer so wisely mentioned, it ****_is_**** very ambitious (and unrealistic) of me to try and get a chapter up every day... My brain doesn't work that fast, some would argue whether or not it even works at all U_U so updates may not be as often, like I had stated before. But I'll try! I swear on my mother's toaster, I'll try!**

**On with the story!**

**P.S. There's some drug usage in this chapter... I think the rating can still remain as T, but I figured I'd let you guys know, just in case. :)**

* * *

**Jade**

A itching on my chest wakes me up, I'm about to scratch it when I suddenly feel the itch move. I freeze. There is definitely something crawling on me. I feel it move onto my neck, then back on my chest. I move my hand towards it slowly to keep from startling it. Just then there's a large explosion outside which illuminates the entire room, allowing me to clearly see the form of a lizard on my chest. I quickly snatch it up with one hand and in one swift motion snap its little neck with the other. I take it by the tail and lift it up to examine it. It's not big, but it's not small enough to be considered "cute" and harmless.

Just then I become aware of the fact that I'm alone in the bed, when I clearly remember being with three other girls just a few hours ago.

I get up and stick my head out in the hallway, nothing. So I make my way to the lobby. Sure enough, as soon as I get there, I see the whole group is standing around in their PJ's. That's when I realize I'm still holding the lizard in my hand.

"Hey." I greet, getting everyone's attention. "I just woke up, and found _this_ sitting on my chest." I motion to the lizard. I hear a few gasps.

"A dead lizard?" Cat questions. I turn and see Vega's disgusted face and I decide to have a little bit of fun.

"It's dead now." I say as I look her dead in the eye and wipe at my mouth suggestively. It takes all my self-control and acting skills to not bust out laughing after seeing her face pale and eyes widen at the thought of me killing the lizard with my bare mouth. Hey, just cause we're "_friends_" now doesn't mean I don't enjoy teasing the shit out of her. Just then I notice Andre's giant lump on his neck. As I prod and poke at it, I hear Vega and the others demand our plane tickets home. The argument gets a bit heated when Scrappy says that we have to honor our agreement to perform in his craptastic hotel. I roll my eyes and get ready to give him a piece of my mind when he suddenly pulls on a rope, sounding off an alarm. We all look at each other in confusion, and just then, a squad of the same soldiers from earlier today rush in. I quickly bite my tongue and remain silent, as well as everyone else. Vega lets it be understood that we'll be staying by asking us what song we should sing tomorrow. At that, Scrappy motions for the soldiers to retire. We all reluctantly head upstairs and call it a night. I'm walking behind Vega towards the room and I see her nervously biting her nails, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. No doubt worrying about the mess she's got us in and trying to think of ways to get out of it.

We get to the room and after kicking Robbie out of the bed where he was somehow hiding in again, we all climb in. We allow him to sleep at the foot of the bed like the family dog. I make sure to tell him that. Cat's the first one to fall asleep, followed by Robbie who starts whimpering and kicking like an actual dog, which just makes his current situation even funnier. Trina's loud snores come next. And as expected, when I lift my head and look over the sleeping forms of Cat and Trina, I see a wide awake Tori with the worried look still plastered on her face.

"Well that's not a pretty face!" I said in the mock voice I use for her.

"I don't talk like that." She said more as an automatic response than a defense, given that it lacked its usual bite. That's how I can tell she is really worried about this whole situation we find ourselves in. I debate on whether or not I should even attempt to help, thinking how easy it would be to just go to sleep and let her figure things out. But as soon as my head hits the pillow I know I can't do that. Not if I actually want this whole friendship shit with Vega to work. I roll my eyes and let out a loud sigh before getting up. I push the blanket aside and go over to my bag, all while feeling Vega's eyes on me as I rummage through my stuff.

"What are you doing?" she whispers.

"Here it is." I grab the little plastic bag and the lighter next to it. I then slip into my boots and throw on a jacket. "Put on some shoes and a coat." I order. She just looks at me with a perplexed expression. I sigh and snap my fingers in front of her twice before repeating the command. This time she gets up and obeys although she maintains the confused expression. While she gets ready, I stick my head out the window and look around. The woods stand to my right and there is a large clearing straight ahead. I look to the left and see a ledge, which means the cliff is on the other side. I feel Vega come and stand next to me.

"Jade? Where are we going?" she asks softly. I smile at the fact that she's not trying to talk me out of going out at night in this godforsaken country; she simply goes along with it.

"We're going on a trip." I smirk, jumping out the window and onto the ground. She follows behind me as I walk over to the ledge, happy to see that there is a good seven feet of solid ground between the hotel's stone wall and the edge of the cliff. I walk a few feet and once I find a spot I like, I sit down, motioning for her to do the same.

"Oh my God." She exclaims, suddenly stopping in her tracks. I glance up at her and shoot her a questioning look. "You're not… you're not planning on throwing me over… are you?" she asks in a soft, frightened voice. I simply stare at her with a bored expression.

"Vega, if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead." I deadpan. "Besides, I thought we were friends now." I say playfully raising a brow at her. Instantly, her worry vanishes and is replaced by giddiness. She smiles wide and plops down next to me.

"Hehe. I'm friends with Jaaade Weeest!" She sing songs and pushes on my arm playfully. I throw her and icy glare and she freezes.

"Don't make me regret not pushing you off this cliff, Vega." She gulps and turns her attention to the contents I'm taking out of my pocket. She eyes me curiously as I take out the rolling paper and proceed to fill it with the green content from the little plastic bag and gasps.

"Jade!"

"Tori."

She briefly smiles at the mention of her first name, but quickly shakes her head to bring it back to focus on the subject at hand.

"Jade is that-"

"Weed? Why yes, Vega, it is. How very observant of you." She loudly shushes me while looking around frantically to make sure no one is around to hear us.

"How did you even pass that through airport security?" She cries, picking up the baggie and inspecting it, just as I finish rolling up the joint.

"Oh, you don't want to know." I mutter. Her eyes widen and she drops the bag back on the ground while making a disgusted noise. I chuckle at her reaction. "Relax, Vega, I didn't put it up my ass if that's what you're thinking…" She looks at me curiously and goes to pick up the bag again. "I put it up Beck's." Again the little bag flies to the ground, it's a good thing I sealed it tightly. That just makes me crack up. "Oh my God, Vega." I say between laughs. "You are just too fucking easy." She pouts and furrows her brows like a petulant child, making me laugh even more. "I'm _kidding!_ Do you think I would really do that?" She lifts an eyebrow and shrugs. "I put it in a shampoo container ok? See?" I lift it up to my nose and sniff it. It smells like vanilla and cinnamon. She eyes me unsurely but slowly nods. I place one end of the joint in my mouth and light it up, inhaling deeply. I feel Vega's curious gaze on me the entire time. I look at her and motion the joint to her.

"Oh no, no, no. I'm good. Thanks." She says nervously. I roll my eyes and exhale.

"Vega, please don't tell me you've never smoked weed before."

"Was I supposed to?" She asks weakly. I stare at her in disbelief.

"If you want to be friends with me you're gonna have to at least try it." I tell her lifting the joint towards her again. She looks at me, then down at the joint, then up at me again. Slowly, she reaches out and takes it.

"Wow, I never picked Jade West for a drug pusher…" she says with a smirk. I chuckle and lean my head back onto the stone wall, my mind already starting to fog. "So um… how do you do this?" I twist my head to look at her holding the joint uneasily.

"It's not rocket science, Vega. Put the joint in your mouth like a cigarette, I assume you've seen how that is done, and suck in. Once you do that, hold the smoke in your mouth and inhale through your nose, hold it for a bit, then exhale through your mouth." She looks at me nervously; I smile at her and nod my head. Slowly, she lifts the joint up to her lips and does as I told her. Inevitably, as it so happens on most people's first times, she begins to choke and cough, which of course, causes me to laugh loudly. I take a few hits while she composes herself. After several tries she finally gets the gist of it and is able to do it without coughing her lungs up. We continue passing it back and forth for several minutes, sitting in comfortable silence. I'm still amazed at how easy it is being with Vega. It seems so natural to just hang out with her when I'm not purposefully trying to push her away.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when I feel a light tap on my arm. I turn to her and see her pointing straight ahead to what looks like a sea of fireflies flowing over the valley. The view really is spectacular from up here. Vega starts getting up to get a better look but a sudden gust of wind envelops her making her sit back down.

"Whoa…" she mutters. And I smile because I know the weed has started working its magic. I turn to her and smirk while wiggling my eyebrows. A slow goofy grin begins to creep onto her face as her eyes widen. "Oh wow." She blinks several times. "Oh _wow_." She repeats, this time lifting her hands to her eyes and examining them closely. "Oh wow!" she cries waving them around back and forth in front of her face. Normally this would have annoyed the shit out of me to the point of wanting to smack her, but given that I wasn't exactly myself at the moment, it just made me laugh and keep staring at her, completely entertained. "Jade!" she whispers loudly. "Jade, everything is moving soooo sloooow!" she elongates the last words to emphasize her point.

"Yea, apparently so is your brain, Vega." I tease taking another hit. She's not even fazed by my comment. She continues looking around and touching things, as though she were doing it for the first time ever while I lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes. Suddenly, I feel a weight on my lap, I open my eyes, slowly looking down and see Victoria fucking Vega laying her head on it. My first reaction is to push her off me, but as soon as I see her wide, brown, bloodshot eyes looking up at me and that dorky ass grin on her lips, I can't do anything but smile. This just makes her grin widen.

"Uh… what do you think you're doing there, Miss Vega." I ask playfully.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Miss West?" she answers in the same tone. "I'm laying my head down on my good friend's lap, because that's what friendship is aaaall about." she says throwing her arms up in the air. She looks back at me and giggles. Soon her giggles turn into chuckles and then it's full blown laughter. As much as I want to roll my eyes and groan at the cheesiness of her statement I can't help but join her, as I realize that her laughter is very contagious in my current state. Finally, our laughing dies down and we lay still, I looking down at her and she looking up at me. Her smile suddenly fades and is replaced by a thoughtful pout, which I immediately find adorable.

"Jade?" she whispers.

"Hmm?"

"Why can't we be like this _all _the time?"

"I highly doubt we'd be very productive if we were high as fuck all the time, Vega." I snort. She chuckles a bit but then turns back to the pout, making me smile.

"No, no… I mean, why can't _we _be like this all the time? Me and you." She reaches up to play with a lock of my hair when she says 'you', and I surprise both her and myself by allowing it. When her eyes return to mine I realize she's expecting an answer. I sigh and take another hit.

"Because we _can't_." I say finally, blowing smoke out as I do. I bring the joint to her lips and she hesitantly takes a hit herself, all while still looking at me.

"Why?" she asks softly.

"_Because. _Because I-I don't _let _people in, Tori." I sigh. "I don't _do _this." I say motioning between us. "But for some fucking reason that is beyond me, I find it easy to be with you. To let _you _in. Well, it took some hard truths and convincing to admit it to myself at first but now that I finally accepted it… I'm ok with it." I say looking down at her, a smile slowly growing on my lips. She returns it and continues twisting my hair in her fingers.

I truly do mean it. I like being here with her. Hanging out, just being in each other's company. It feels right. Simple.

"But you don't want others to see this side of you." Tori adds, with a small sad smile. And I dont know if it's the drugs or what but before I know what I'm doing, the hand that isn't holding the joint lifts up and runs slowly through her soft hair. Her eyes flutter shut for just a second before they're gazing into mine again.

"No." I say softly, as I continue caressing her locks with my fingers. "I just- I just can't." Her eyes stare deeply into mine, and I wonder what she sees. I wonder if my eyes are revealing to her all my insecurities, my doubts, my fears.

"So…" she smiles. "We'll be _secret _friends? Where no one will know, but us?" The corner of my mouth lifts into a smile as I slowly nod. She smiles brightly and claps her hands in excitement like a child.

We continue talking about everything and anything. Laughing at the stupidest shit or until we forget what it was that caused us to laugh so hard in the first place.

We're almost done with our second joint so I give it to Tori and tell her to finish it up. Our positions had changed so that now I found myself with my head on _her_ lap, because she insisted "that's what friendship is aaaall about!". She takes the joint and puts it in her mouth, but her eyebrows scrunched up in frustration and she takes it back out.

"Man, I can't suck on it when the tip is all wet!" She cries.

"That's what she said." I mutter lazily. Tori turns a deep shade of red and her eyes widen immensely.

"Oh my god, Jade!" she playfully slaps my arm and looks down at me. We stare at each other for a few seconds before we both burst into laughter.

"Give it here you amateur." I say taking the joint from her once our laughing fits die down.

"Aww that's not fair! You're gonna get to finish it!" She whines and does that fucking pout again.

"Oh you big baby, fine! We'll shotgun it."

"We'll _what_-it?" she asks, peering down at me confused.

"Just open your mouth and do as I say." I order, bringing the joint to my lips. I take a hit and hold the smoke in my mouth, I flick what's left of it away and motioning for Vega to come closer. She eyes me suspiciously and doesn't move. I glare at her and motion again to come closer. She slowly brings her head down to mine but not close enough. Exasperated, I grab her face between my two hands and yank it down to mine, so that our mouths are now 2 inches apart. Her eyes widen and I feel her tense up.

"Uh, Jade what're you doing?" She yelps, I take the opportunity of her mouth being open to blow the smoke into it slowly. She quickly catches on and inhales. I feel her relax into my hands as I continue blowing out. Her eyes stay locked on mine and I can't help but notice how much prettier they are up close like this. I also notice the tiny birthmark she has right below her left eyebrow that looks like a little diamond. And that her skin is really fucking soft. I finish blowing the smoke into her mouth and take a much needed breath, still holding on to her.

"Happy?" I whisper. She doesn't move, just keeps staring.

"Yea…" she finally mumbles back while blowing out the smoke.

"Good." I give her a soft, playful slap on the cheek and twist my head on her lap towards the ocean, finally breaking eye contact. Her face remains angled down towards mine for a moment more, but then she clears her throat and straightens up. We stay in this position until the sun rises, which isn't long after that. Occasionally I'll feel her hand run through my hair, or sometimes I'll play with her fingers when she rests them on my stomach. Neither of us speak, as there's no need. It's not awkward or uncomfortable. It's just... strangely _us_.

**Tori**

I wake up to a bright pink colored toenail hovering in front of my face. My eyes widen and I shove the foot away from me.

"Cat! Get your foot out of my face!" I cry.

"Oh, sorry Tori!" I hear a deep, well deeper than Cat's anyway, voice reply. I scrunch up my eyes and raise my head to see Robbie laying down with his upper body towards the foot of the bed, where Cat is currently painting his fingernails in a matching pink. My eyebrows shoot up as I stare at the pair giggling and whispering like a couple of school girls. Just then I hear a shrill scream come from the bathroom, startling the three of us.

"Did you find another dead lizard?" Cat worriedly questions.

"No, just doing my early morning vocal exercise!" comes Trina's reply, followed by another blood-curdling scream. Soon after that, she comes out of the bathroom fully dressed with a towel wrapped around her hair. "You guys aren't dressed yet?" She barks. "Scradis said they stop serving the complimentary breakfast at noon and it's already nine!"

"Ugh!" I whine letting my head fall back onto the pillow and squeezing my eyes shut. "It's barely nine?" Jade and I hadn't returned to the room 'til six this morning, so I was exhausted.

_Jade. _

My eyes shoot open and I turn my head to the right, where I see her sprawled facedown on her side of the bed, hair a mess and covering half her face. There's a steady rise and fall of her back so I know she's deeply asleep. _Man, that girl really does_ _sleep through anything… _I think as I watch her.

"Well, you weirdos keep sleeping if you'd like, I'm gonna go down, eat some breakfast, and start my day!" Trina says as she pulls off the towel from her head and throws it at my face, walking out the door.

"Trina!" I cry yanking the material off me.

"Don't forget rehearsal is at two!" I hear her yell down the hall.

"Cat, you wanna go have breakfast?" Robbie asks like a father asking a child if they want some ice cream. She claps her hands together and nods enthusiastically. "Alright so get this pink nail polish off and let's go!" Cat's face suddenly takes on a look that resembles a scared little puppy; wide eyed and pouting. "Cat…" Robbie drawls.

"I didn't bring any nail polish remover." She mumbles, pout deepening.

"_What_?" He cries, jumping off the bed. "You mean I have to stay like _this _all day?" he looks at his hands and feet with an appalled expression. That just makes Cat's pout turn into an offended one.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she gasps. Robbie's eyes widen and he starts sputtering as he tries to diffuse the situation.

"It-It's just that, you know, the guys! The guys are gonna make fun of- Cat! Cat where are you going?" Cat grabs her coat, lifts her chin up high and storms out of the room, with a pink nailed Robbie chasing behind. I simply stare after them, too tired to dwell on the fact that they were both still in their pajamas when they left. I once again drop my head back onto the pillow with a sigh, last night's events flooding my still cloudy mind.

I snuck out with Jade.

I hung out with Jade.

I talked and laughed with Jade.

I smoked pot with Jade.

…

_I smoked pot!_

My eyes snap open and I gasp. _Holy toast and crackers, I smoked pot! I'm a pot smoker! I've just turned into another teen statistic!_ My eyebrows scrunch up as I realize I'm probably making too big a deal of this. _But it _is _a big deal! _I tell myself. _Marijuana is a gateway drug! What if I start doing cocaine next? _Gasp! _Or crystal meth? _Double gasp! _What if all my teeth turn brown and fall out?! _I run a finger over my teeth and grimace. _No, no. Jade and I would never do those things._

Wait.

_Jade and I_? _Since when do I think in Jade and I's_? I turn my head to gaze at the sleeping girl next to me. Her hair has fallen off to the side revealing her entire face. She looks so peaceful sleeping. So calm, so content, so un-Jade-like. But what _is _Jade-like now? After last night I really don't know the answer to that. I turn my head back and stare at the ceiling. Yesterday, seems so surreal. Like it was all a dream.

"An awesome dream…" I hear myself whisper. I realize I have an idiotic grin plastered on my face and wonder if maybe I'm still high. But I can't help feeling this way. It had all just been so perfect. It was as though we were old friends, just hanging out like it was the most common thing in the world; and the fact that just a few days ago we could have barely considered ourselves acquaintances didn't even matter. They say some people just click and hit it off from the start. Who would've thought that would be the case with Jade West? Of all people, Jade freaking West. I smile stupidly again as I remember what she had told me last night on the cliff.

_"-for some fucking reason that is beyond me, I find it easy to be with you. To let you in. Well, it took some hard truths and convincing to admit it to myself at first but now that I finally accepted it… I'm ok with it."_

And then she had smiled, oh God that smile! It always felt like such an accomplishment to make Jade smile, not easily achieved by many. But yesterday, yesterday I hadn't only made her smile, no I had made her laugh! I had made her happy! Well, I guess I did have _some _help… illegal mood enhancers and all, but still. _I _had made _Jade West_ happy. I sigh contently. Yesterday just feels too good to be true.

My heart stops and my smile vanishes. _What if it was? What if Jade wakes up today and is back to her old ganky self? What if this really was all a joke and she secretly recorded me smoking and saying stupid things yesterday to humiliate me and get me in trouble? _My heart starts beating rapidly in my chest and my breathing quickens as I start freaking out.

_No, no… she couldn't be _that _cruel? Could she? _I scoff and ball my hands into fists, slamming them down in the bed.

_Of course she could! She's Jade West! _

_No! No… I-I saw the _real _Jade West yesterday! She was nice! And sweet! And funny! And she was my-we were- we ARE friends!_

_Tori, Tori, Tori… Sweet illusive Tori… How many times have you fallen for this? _

_No, but this time it's different! This time she apologized! She… she called me Tori!_

_Oh! So she knows your first name! She _must _be your friend. Please…_

_Why the heck is my conscience such a mean, sarcastic jerk?_

A pillow smashing into my face startles me out of my seemingly schizophrenic debate. I let out a surprised yelp and push the pillow away, turning to face the originator of the attack. Jade is staring at me with a bored expression, face resting on her palm as she props herself up on her elbow.

"Your hyperventilating woke me up so I threw that pillow to snap you out of it." she deadpans. I simply stare at her, wide eyed, chest still rising and dropping rapidly. She scrunches up her face in confusion. "What the hell's wrong with you, Tori? Don't tell me you're just _now _going into an anxiety attack 'cause of the weed?" she lifts an eyebrow and smirks.

"Why do you call me 'Tori'?" I question, trying to make my voice sound as steady as hers but failing miserably. Her eyebrows narrow again and she stares at me like I grew a second head.

"Last I checked that was your name…" she says slowly.

"B-But why now? Why after all this time?" I demand sitting up on the bed. Her head snaps up and she too sits up, startled by my aggressiveness.

"Wh-what? What do you mean?" she stutters, clearly confused.

"You never used to call me Tori before, so what changed?" I press, sitting up on my knees so I can tower over her and maybe intimidate her into telling me the truth.

"I-I don't know, I thought you liked it when I call you Tori so I-" she suddenly stops talking and her expression turns into an annoyed one. "Wait, why the fuck are you asking me all this, Vega? What's going on? You're freaking me out!" She jumps out of the bed and walks backwards to sit on the window ledge, putting some distance between us. I stare at her for a moment and then let out a groan as I cover my face with my hands.

"I _know!_" I whine. My words muffled by my hands. "I know I'm acting like a crazy person." She scoffs. "It's cause I… I just- last night was just so- and then today I woke up and- I just don't know if you- if you- _ugh!_" I let myself fall back onto the bed, still keeping my face hidden. "I-I got scared." I whisper. It's quiet for a while so I peer from in-between my fingers to see if she's walked out of the room. But she stands there, by the same place near the window, looking at me curiously.

"You were scared I would fuck you over like I did last time." She states softly. I half expect her to be mad and offended that I'm doubting her again. But instead, she has a glimmer of guilt in her eyes, as if she feels bad for being the cause of my uncertainty. She sighs and slowly makes her way back to the bed. She takes a seat next to me and looks me in the eye. She then grabs my right hand and pulls it up. I can't help but let out a tiny shriek as the thought of her hurting me in some way flashes through my mind. Never in a million years would I have expected what happened next… Never breaking eye contact, she brings my hand up to her face, and swiftly presses my palm into it, where she lets her eyes flutter shut while inhaling profusely. After a few seconds, she slowly opens her eyes, lifts her pierced eyebrow, and smiles into my hand. I stare at her with my mouth agape, too shocked and amazed to move. She gently brings my hand down and lets it go.

"If completely humiliating myself by doing such a disgustingly idiotic thing doesn't convince you that I'm serious, then I don't know what will." She says with a shrug, throwing me another crooked smile.

There's absolutely no way to describe what I'm feeling. My stomach feels like it's ready to jump out of my mouth. My chest is suddenly overcome by an inexplicable warmth, which quickly spreads through the rest of my body, and I'm sure I'm blushing. Without saying a word, I reach up and pull her into a tight hug. It's a bit uncomfortable given our sitting positions on the bed but I don't care. She tenses up and doesn't respond at first, no doubt taken by surprise. But right when I'm about to pull away to keep her from feeling overwhelmed and awkward, I feel hesitant hands slide up my back, and her head tentatively settles on my shoulder, face nuzzling into my hair. I feel her breathe in and relax as she breathes out. My eyes close and I smile into her neck.

"Thank you." I murmur.

"For what?" she whispers, tickling my skin with her breath.

"For giving me a chance." I say and hug her tighter.

"God, Vega, you're such a sap." She chuckles into my hair, but to my surprise she tightens her embrace as well, making my smile widen. "Alright now get off me before you give me diabetes." She growls and I immediately pull back. She smirks as she gets up and heads to the bathroom while I remain on the bed, big dorky grin on my lips.

_See? I told you it was real. _I tell myself, glad when there's no snarky reply.

We joined the others for breakfast a short while later. Jade and I both slipped into our parts, where she would pretend she still didn't like me and I would pretend to get offended at her biting remarks and jokes. But every now and then when no one was looking, our eyes would meet and she'd throw me a knowing smirk followed by a wink. I would simply bite my bottom lip while stifling a giggle. It was quite fun actually… being secret friends with Jade. It felt as though we were the only ones that were part of an inside joke or something.

After all these years of trying and trying to win her, I had finally succeeded and Jade West and I were friends! It made my stomach flutter just thinking about it. For so long I was nearly convinced that it would never happen, and now that it had, I had to admit, it was better than I ever imagined it would be. I guess I thought that if we ever _were _friends, it'd be sort of like the friendship I had with Andre or Cat; but the way we have connected is just so… I don't even know how to describe it. It astonishes me that this is same person that is feared and avoided in Hollywood Arts, and that not even two days ago hated my guts.

Just then a green skittle hits me square in the head, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Ow!" I cry as I rub my forehead. I blink several times and see Jade standing next to Cat, who has a little bag of skittles sticking out of her jacket. Cat looks at me with wide eyes and then points a finger at Jade, signaling that she was the one who threw it.

"Focus, Vega." she hisses through gritted teeth as she continues to glare at me.

_Oh crap. I was staring again._ I feel myself blush as I get back into position on stage so we can continue rehearsals. _Focus, Tori. Focus. _

Over the past few hours, I've caught myself, or been caught, staring at Jade several times. At first she would just throw me a confused look, to which I would simply blush and smile dismissively. But then, others started noticing, and she started becoming more annoyed, hence the flying candy.

We manage to get through the rest of rehearsals without further incidents. Afterwards, we all decided to rest and freshen up a bit before the actual performance, so we headed to our rooms. Right before I entered ours, I felt someone pull me back into the hallway and close the door to the room. I twisted around and let out a sigh of relief when I saw it was Jade.

"Oh! Jade…" I put my hand to my chest and smiled. "You scared me!" She didn't smile, but narrowed her eyes and continued glaring at me. "Uh… is everything ok?" I ask hesitantly.

"I don't know, Vega. You tell me." She growls. "Why the fuck do you keep staring at me with that idiotic grin of yours?" My eyes widen and I smile nervously.

"I-I'm sorry about that…" I stutter. "I really don't know what's wrong with me. I guess I just-I don't know- I just keep thinking of how much things have changed and I can't help but look, to make sure it's really... well, you know-"

"Yea, I know, and soon _everyone _will know if you don't control your damned cheesiness." She snaps. But she doesn't sound so much angry as she does… afraid?

"Yes, yes. You're right, I'm sorry." I say. "I'll… stop… staring at you." I blurt out. She continues glaring at me for a bit. Eventually her scowl disappears and she gives me an amused smile. She reaches into my coat's pocket and snatches out my cell phone. I scrunch up my eyebrows in confusion as I look at her. She lifts the phone up in front of her face, doing her signature smirk and lifting her pierced eyebrow. I see a flash go off as she takes the self portrait. She then shoves the phone into my hands and opens the door to the room.

"It'll last longer." She says before walking inside.

* * *

**AN: Hope you guys liked it! See you soon! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I'm back! :) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and/or followed! You guys make my stomach feel all bubbly! The ****_good_**** kind of happy bubbly! Not the kind you get when you eat Del Taco at three in the morning :S **

**I'm really glad you guys are liking it! I hope it only gets better from here on out! **

**See you soon! :D **

* * *

**Tori**

"Go fish!" Cat yells throwing her cards in the air and giggling as they rain down around her.

"_Cat_!" Trina shrieks slamming her own cards down on the bed. "We're playing UNO!"

"That means 'one' in your language! Hehe."

"My language? What do you mean _my language? _I'll have you know I'm one eighth Ital-"

"You guys!" I cry slumping back on the bed frame. "Can't we just finish _one _game without you two getting into a stupid argument?"

"Well she's the one with the attention span of a squirrel!"

"Oh I love squirrels! One time, my brothe- " suddenly Cat's eyes widen and she gasps. "_What's that supposed to mean?_"

"It means exactly what it sounded like it meant!"

"You're so mean to me!"

I let out a loud frustrated groan getting up from the bed and head out into the hallway. I can hear them going at it even after I close the door. I lean back against it with my eyes closed and let my body slide down until I'm sitting on the floor. For the past hour I've been stuck as the mediator between Trina and Cat, and I'm about ready to kill someone.

"Having fun?" I hear a low teasing voice say, and immediately all my frustration and anger simmers, a smile replacing my frown. My eyes remain closed as I don't need to see in order to know who the voice belongs to.

"Is it that obvious?" I question, to which Jade simply chuckles. I open one eye and see her casually leaning against the wall opposite to me with her arms crossed in front of her chest, giving me a crooked grin. "Hey, weren't you gonna hang with Beck 'til the show tonight?" I ask letting my eye close again and leaning my head back against the wall. When there's no response, my eyes snap open and search for hers, only to find them looking down at her feet. "Did you guys have a fight?" I question softly. She shakes her head and looks up at me, eyebrows furrowed.

"No, no. We didn't. I just-" She looks down again and begins drawing random patterns on the dirty carpet with her shoe. "I just didn't feel like hanging out with him, I guess." She mutters with a shrug. I stare at her for a moment as a small smile begins pulling at my lips. She looks up and rolls her eyes when she sees it. "Again with that damn dorky smile!" she grunts.

"You wanted to hang out with _me_…" I tease. "You _missed _me!"

"Oh my God, Vega, that's gross." She grumbles pretending to be disgusted, but a slight blush staining her cheeks says otherwise.

"Oh is that right?" I say getting up and dusting myself off. "Fine, then I guess I'll just go see what Andre's up to…" I begin slowly walking down the hall toward the boys' room. "I bet _he _doesn't think hanging out with me is gross." I call out over my shoulder, grinning mischievously. I only get a few steps in when I hear her groan.

"Ok fine!" she cries. I spin back around, ready to gloat in my victory when the look on her face makes me freeze. Her eyes are scrunched up in worry while she fidgets with her fingers. Immediately I rush to her and put my hand on her shoulder, mirroring her worried expression.

"Jade, what's wrong?" I ask softly. She takes a deep breath and looks away from me.

"I-I just needed to talk to someone, ok? Something's happen and I- I don't know what to do." She looks back at me, eyes pleading for understanding. I nod and motion for her to continue. She squeezes her eyes shut and whispers, "I-I'm-I'm pregnant." I feel like someone punched me in the stomach, and then hit me in the face with a bat for good measure. She's staring at me expectantly so I force myself to say something, _anything._

"H-How?" _How? Really, Tori?_ Jade gives me an unbelieving look.

"How the fuck do you think, Vega?" She snaps.

"R-right. Sorry." I mumble. "Does… does Beck know?" She immediately lowers her eyes to avoid mine and begins fidgeting again.

"It's-It's… _not…_ Beck's." she mutters. And now someone's repeatedly kicking my already unconscious body.

"_What?_" I gasp. She bites her bottom lip and continues avoiding my gaze. "Then-then whose, who-"

"It's…" she looks up at me again. Piercing my eyes with her own while I attempt to keep myself upright. "It-it's… Rex's."

I stand there for God knows how long just staring at her. I don't know whether to laugh, cry or slap her. Never have I gone through such an intense roller coaster of emotions in such a short amount of time. She simply stares back, a smug smile on her face.

"You… You-" I stutter. "You _bitch._" I finally spit out. She raises her eyebrows, seemingly impressed by my choice of words.

"Serves you right for fucking with me." She says while turning around and walking down the hall. "Now come along. We only have two hours before our performance. Let's see what this shitty island has to offer." I continue gaping, frozen in place, staring after her until she disappears around the corner. It's not until I hear the elevator ding that I almost trip over myself to catch up.

We walked through the entire main street in less than thirty minutes. Stopped at little shops here and there, made fun of the locals and I gave thirty dollars to a woman to use for hospital fees when her teenage son's nose got broken after sniffing Jade's hand. There was nothing much to do in the town after that as there were restricted military areas almost everywhere, so we somehow ended up on a trail that ran along the beach, just south from the hotel. It was quite a beautiful and peaceful walk, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying it.

"So what's the deal with you and Andre?" Jade asks, eyeing me curiously as she takes a bite of her Shismakov, some type of Yerbanian deep fried dessert that looks disgusting but is actually quite delicious.

"What do you mean?" I ask taking a bite out of my own. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"I _mean_, how long have you two been banging?" She says through a mouthful of deep fried goodness. My eyes widen and tiny pieces of the Shismakov suddenly find themselves flying out of my mouth. Jade's eyebrows shoot up as she takes in the choking mess beside her. "You all right there, champ?" she chuckles, roughly patting me in the back in her attempt to help me out.

"Yea- I think so." I choke out. A few more coughs and I feel like I can breathe again.

"So?" she continues. "How long you been tappin' that?"

"I been tappin' nothing!" I cry. Now fighting off a blush as well as death by asphyxiation. "Andre and I are just friends!"

"Yea right…" she scoffs.

"We are!" I scream, offended that she won't believe me. She stares at me with narrowed eyes as we continue walking.

"_Really?_" she asks, to which I nod effusively. "Huh... I could've sworn." She says with a shrug. We continue walking in silence for a few minutes. "Not even friends with benefits?" she asks suddenly. I laugh loudly and shake my head.

"_No, _Jade!"

"Hmm. Beck and I were friends with benefits before we started dating." She says softly, looking ahead. I look over at her surprised, but don't say anything. "After a while, we realized we didn't mind being in each other's company so we figured, why not make it a thing, you know?" she shrugs. I scrunch up my brows and look over at her.

"But, weren't you guys, like, in love?" I question. She frowns as she thinks about it.

"I don't know, I guess the love part kinda just grew on us as time went by… I mean, don't get me wrong, I _do _love him and I know he loves me too but- it just was never like that shit they show in those sappy movies you like. You know, where the idiots are all over each other all the time, and get all hot and bothered just looking at the other person, and think about them every second of every goddamned day and blah, blah, _puke._" She says with a gag. I roll my eyes and smile at her dramatics. "Beck and I just happen to be two people who enjoy being with each other very much and the sex is just a bonus." She adds with a wink. I feel myself blush causing her to chuckle. She throws the wrapper of her Shismakov away and dusts off her hands.

"Man that shit was greasy!" she exclaims as she examines her hands. She brings one up to her face and scrunches up her nose. "Ugh. And they leave your hands smelling like Sinjin's hair!" I laugh as I throw my own wrapper away. "You know…" she suddenly says in a mischievous tone. "You never _did _return my friendly gesture from this morning." I look at her as I try to figure out what she's talking about. "And I think it is only fair that you do so now." She adds stopping right in front of me and lifting her palm to my face as realization of what she wants me to do suddenly strikes.

"Eww! Jade, no! You have to wash your hands first!" I cry taking a few steps back. "They're all greasy and Sinjiny…"

"Nuh-uh, Vega..." She takes a step forward, palm still raised. "Your hands reeked of weed and _I _still did it."

"That's not fair!" I groan taking another step back as she advances. "Weed smells good!"

"It's really gonna hurt my feelings if you don't do it…" she drawls faking a pout.

"No, Jade… Please don't." I beg, lifting my arms up in surrender. Her pout slowly morphs into an evil smile and I know I'm in trouble. Before I get a chance to react, she pounces and tackles me to the ground. I try with all my strength, which happens to be almost inexistent compared to Jade's, to push her off me, but within five seconds she's straddling me and has my wrists pinned to the ground next to my head. All my grunts and attempts to buck her off me result in her laughing and squeezing my wrists even harder. "_Jaaadeeee!_" I whine as I try one last time to lift my body and knock her off only for her to tighten the hold of her legs around my hips.

"_Tooooriiiii!" _she cries out dramatically, and I have to fight off the smile that threatens to replace the exaggerated pout on my face. "Should've taken the chance I gave you, Vega. You should know already that I always get what I want, one way or another." She says, puffing some air out of the corner of her mouth to get a lock of hair out of her face. "Now, are you gonna do this the easy way, or do we have to continue the hard way?"

"You are an evil woman, Jade West." I grumble sticking out my tongue.

"You sound surprised." She growls, biting at the air in front of me. "Hard way it is." She pulls my wrists up over my head with ease and presses them together so that she can hold them in place with just one hand, leaving her other one free. The new position we're in causes her face to come a lot closer to mine, and the sudden proximity seems to startle her because she suddenly stops her movements and simply stares down at me, her hair cascading around us and tickling my face. Our breathing is the only noise as her eyes study mine in silence; curious, questioning. Her intense gaze making my stomach tighten and my breathing falter.

"How do you do it?" she asks softly, eyes still locked on mine. It takes me a second to realize she's asked me something, and another one to reply.

"How do I do what?" I question, voice barely above a whisper.

"This. Me. How do you make me act like this?" I furrow my eyebrows and smile up at her, confused.

"Like how?"

"Like an idiot." She says, a tentative smile forming on her lips telling me there's no offense behind the statement.

"I really doubt I can be blamed for that." I joke.

"Vega…"

"West…"

She continues studying my face for a few seconds more, smile still in place, as my heart keeps hammering in my chest. I feel her loosen the grip on my wrists and then let go of them completely as she slowly straightens up into a sitting position, remaining on top of me.

"I just don't get it." she whispers. "Why it's so easy with you. Why you don't run away like everybody else." She doesn't say it like she feels sorry for herself, no, to her it's just a genuine observation. But it still makes my heart break, and I can't help but feel a spark of anger at the fact that more people don't take the time to see the beauty in her. To realize that she is like a diamond in the rough and that you need to push through and around the rough edges; though it may be hard, and you may get cut in the process, once you get her, raw and pure and beautiful, it makes everything worth it. Because _she's _worth it.

In one swift move I lift my upper body, grab her by the waist with my now freed hands, and push her down while hoisting myself up, so that now our positions are reversed and I'm the one straddling her. She stares at me with wide eyes, too startled to react.

"Better get used to it, West." I smirk as I pin her wrists down by her head. I lean my face down to hers and whisper, "Cause I ain't going nowhere." With that, I take her right hand and pull it up to my face. I bring her palm in and press it against me, inhaling deeply as I close my eyes. _And oh God, it _does_ smell like Sinjin's hair. _But that becomes the last of my worries when I open my eyes and see the wide smile on her lips and slight blush in her cheeks. I gently place her hand down and give her a soft smile, letting her know that I truly do mean it.

My phone suddenly bleeps, making us both jump. I pull it out of my pocket and see it's a text from Cat asking where we're at.

"Oh shoot! We have to hurry back, Jade! The show starts in twenty minutes and we still have to change!" I exclaim as I shove the phone back into my pocket.

"Kinda hard to do when I have a girl sitting on top of me." She deadpans. My eyes widen and a blush overtakes my face when I realize I'm still straddling her.

"Oh! Right!" I blurt as I quickly scatter off her. She gets up and dusts herself off while smirking at me.

We make it back to the hotel and manage to get dressed and ready with five minutes to spare. We rush to the small auditorium where we'll be performing and find the whole group there already, waiting for us.

"Oh thank cheddar!" Sikowitz cries, raising his hands up in the air when we enter the room.

"Where were you guys?" Trina demands and everyone's curious eyes turn to us.

"We-uh…" I stutter.

"I was showing Vega how to properly hit the high notes in the song, as I do not intend on being humiliated in front of an audience due to her inefficiency." Jade interjects in her typical snarky tone, shooting me a nasty glare. It's amazing how she's able to go from one emotion to another with such ease, speed and conviction. She truly is one talented actress. I quickly mask these thoughts by letting my mouth drop open and eyebrows furrow in feigned offense. She simply smirks and makes her way over to the table where our mikes are scattered to pin hers on. Beck shakes his head, clearly disappointed at his girlfriend's actions and shoots me a reassuring grin before disappearing through the curtain to go do some last minute sound checks with Sikowitz.

While Robbie helps Cat and Trina with their hair, I go over to the mike table to grab my own.  
"I don't really think you're inefficient." I hear Jade mumble as I approach the table, causing me to grin. "Well, not at _singing_ at least…" she adds. My grin quickly turns into the exaggerated pout that I've noticed amuses her. She smiles and quickly meets my eyes before turning around. "But if you _do _mess up and embarrass me," she says as she begins to walk away. "I'll kill you."

Ten minutes later, we're onstage halfway through the song, and everything is going perfectly. The dancing's great, the singing's better, and the audience loves us.

_Almost done now, Tori. Lets finish strong! _

_Spin, spin, lift, kick, step and- _

_Wait. Why's my foot cold? _

_Wait. Why's everybody yelling? _

_Wait. Why's everybody pointing at me?_

I look down and realize I'm no longer wearing a shoe. Startled, I look up and realize exactly what happened when I see the Chancellor holding his good eye and crying in pain, and somewhere next to me Cat and Robbie are informing me of what I've just done. My stomach drops and I feel like I'm gonna be sick. Sudden movement catches my attention and I just barely catch Jade and Andre fleeing the stage. My heart drops but before I can even react I'm seized by two giant guards and dragged away, my protests and cries going unheard. I kick and scratch as much as I can but they hold on tightly. Somewhere in the background through all the shouting I hear the word 'prison', nearly making my heart stop. Desperate, I reach over and lick both their hands, successfully startling them enough to squirm free. I run back to my friends, yelling that I got away, only to once again be taken. One of the soldiers hoists me up over his shoulders and carries me off as I cry over and over again that I've been recaptured.

_Where'd Jade and Andre run off to? Did they go get help? Is Jade coming after me with her scissors in hand? _

I'm suddenly thrown into the back of a dark and cold carriage. I scamper to my feet but before I can jump out, a thick wooden door is slammed shut in my face. I bang on it loudly and cry for help through the little barred window but no one comes to my rescue. The carriage then takes off into the night, my shouts dying down when I feel the first tears slowly roll down my cheeks as the hotel gets smaller and smaller in the distance.

**Jade**

I rush into the lobby and quickly scan the room. Trina and Sikowits are by the reception talking to Scrappy with worried looks on their faces. Robbie is sitting on one of the couches trying to comfort a crying Cat.

"There you are." I jump when I feel a hand on my shoulder and spin around to come face to face with Beck. "It's ok," he says. "It's just me."

"Where is she?" I question, eyes back to scanning the room. My heart feels like it's beating right out of my chest from running and I have a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"They took her." He says softly.

"_What?!" _I yell. Everyone's eyes turn to me, so I take a deep breath and pull Beck roughly by the arm out into the hallway. "Who took her? Where?" I demand pushing him against the wall.

"The soldiers, to prison…" he says furrowing his brow, no doubt surprised by my reaction. I feel all the blood drain from my face as the feeling in my stomach intensifies. My chest contracts and it becomes extremely difficult to breathe.

"You mean to tell me that those sons of bitches took her away? _And you fuckers let them?" _I growl, consumed by rage. Beck's eyes sadden and he looks down at the ground.

"There was nothing we could do, Jade." He mumbles. "And why are you yelling at me? You and Andre disappeared when they came in! Where'd you guys even go?" My eyes widen and my heart stops when I realize that it's true. That I just left. That I just I abandoned her.

"Andre freaked 'cause he thought he was having one of his moth bite hallucinations. And I had a fucking joint rolled up in my bra, so I had to get rid of it in case they searched us or something. Had I know this would happen I would've just shoved it down Robbie's pants." I huff. "I didn't think they would actually take…take her." My knees feel weak and my breathing starts coming out in jagged bursts. Beck looks at me for a moment, analyzing my behavior. His face finally softens and he pulls me into a warm embrace.

"It'll be ok, Jade." He murmurs, rubbing small circles on my back. "Sikowitz and Trina are gonna go talk to the Chancellor tomorrow and see what can be done."

"_Tomorrow?_" I roar, pushing him away. "What about Tori? Is she supposed to just wait patiently in that fucking place where they're probably doing God knows what to her-" I close my eyes tightly and try to shake off the millions of images that suddenly run through my mind of Vega being hurt. "-until _tomorrow_ while we all stay here and sleep peacefully?" Beck tries to reach out for me again but I brush him off and storm away.

"Jade! Jade, where are you going?" he cries behind me.

"Out for a fucking walk!" I yell back as I burst out the side entrance and into the night. He's smart enough to not follow after me. I stomp out into a terrace, hands balled into hard fists.

"Fuck. Fuck. _Fuck!_" I growl kicking the first thing my foot comes in contact with, which happens to be a stuffed raccoon standing next to a bench. The creepy ass thing goes flying into the night and disappears over the edge of the hill. I let out a loud sigh and drop down on the bench.

I feel mad, frustrated, worried, scared… but mostly pissed at myself for not having been there, for not having done anything to stop them from taking her, for putting myself first like I always do. I shut my eyes and bang my head against the back of the bench. Why the fuck do I have to be so selfish? So self-centered? I have no doubt that if the situation had been the other way around, Vega would have done the impossible to help me. Hell, I'm sure she would've thrown her own damn shoe at them just so she would get thrown in jail and I wouldn't be alone.

_Vega._

_Fucking Vega._

She's all alone now, probably scared shitless. And she's so goddamned nice and sweet that she will let herself be bullied, and those motherfuckers will take advantage of her and they'll-they'll fucking-_Ugh! _I slam my fists down on the bench. _No. I won't allow it. I can't. _

Given that the hotel is on the seemingly highest cliff on the island, it has a clear view of all its surroundings, allowing me to quickly locate the prison, which doesn't take a genius to figure out is the large stone structure east of the hotel with a watch tower in every corner and barbed wire shining brightly under the illuminating lights. I happily notice that it happens to be just a short distance from the edge of the marketplace Tori and I were at this afternoon, and I can't help but thank the heavens that this shitty country is so small. I mentally note down any landmarks I can make out in the moonlight to lead me once I'm down there before quickly running down the trail in direction to the Yerbanian prison.

Twenty minutes later, I find myself standing in front of its large looming gates. I notice two soldiers standing guard by a small pillar to the right, snickering over a magazine the shorter one of the two is holding. They don't notice me approaching until I'm right in front of them. They gasp and jump back, the short one fumbling as he awkwardly hides the magazine inside his coat. They both look like a couple of harmless idiots, so this should be a piece of cake.

"Well hello there, fellas." I smirk. "I was wondering if you two could help me out with something on this fine night." They throw nervous glances at each other before looking back at me.

"What do you want us to help with?" The tall one says with a thick accent.

"I need to see someone in there." I motion to the building.

"No visitors after sundown." The little one informs.

"Oh… maybe you could make an exception for me?" I say as I slyly dangle a twenty dollar bill from my fingers, and wiggle my eyebrows suggestively.

"We do not take bribes, buddy." He says lifting his head high. "We serve motherland with honor and dignity." He then stands to attention and brings his right hand to his forehead in a salute, which in turn causes the magazine to slide out from under his coat and fall on the floor. They both quickly scramble to try and pick it up quickly, but not before I see the cover, which portrays a topless blonde laying on the hood of a red muscle car. I lift an eyebrow and smirk, causing them to blush. Suddenly I get an idea.

"Oh come on, boys." I say in a seductive tone. "If you help _me_ out… I'll help _you_ out." I add with a wink. Their eyes widen and I see them both gulp.

"H-how you help us?" the tall one squeaks.

"Well, I'm sure two handsome boys, such as yourselves, would like the chance to appreciate a woman's… _assets…_ in an up close and personal way, and not just through a measly magazine." Their eyes widen even more and flicker down to my chest in unison. "So…" I drawl, bringing their attention back to my face. "Let me see my friend... and I'll let you see _my _friends." They slowly turn to each other and smile like two horny school boys before quickly clearing their throats and putting on serious expressions, to which I just roll my eyes.

"Very well," the little one says, while the tall one grins smugly. "We will take you to your friend." I smile and nod, waiting for them to lead me inside. A few seconds go by and neither of them show sign of movement.

"_Well_?" I snap. They eye me questioningly. _Uh… what the fuck? _"Are you gonna take me _now?_"

"Oh _now! _Sure, sure! We take you now._" _Shorty exclaims and I have to fight the urge to facepalm myself, or better yet, to facepalm _them_. They lead me inside through a series of doors and corridors until we get to a small room that seems to be used for interrogations. My heart stops and my stomach tightens when I see a seemingly fresh puddle of blood on the ground and horrible images of Vega immediately flood my mind again.

"Wait here and be quiet." The tall fair skinned one tells me. "We'll bring your buddy, ok buddy?" With that they disappear and close the door behind them. I begin pacing the small space nervously, as a million thoughts rush through my head. God, the idea of her being hurt or worse makes me want to puke.

_Who would've thought the day would come when Jade West would be worried about Tori Vega? _I think to myself. _Certainly not me, that's for sure. _Man, if someone would've told me three days ago that I'd be showing two horny soldiers my tits just to get to see Vega I would've used my best pair of scissors to give them a sex change operation... And yet here I am, in that precise situation.

I chuckle softly as I think about the past two days. How in just that short amount of time I've gone from openly despising Vega, to secretly considering her one of the most amazing people in my life. I'm not clear on exactly how that happened, what I _do_ know, however, is what a fucking idiot I've been for pushing her away all this time. If only I could go back and tell myself to stop being such a bitch. To stop listening to the advice of the two most unhappy motherfuckers that ever existed, whose sole purpose in life seems to make others as miserable as themselves. And to just… God, to just _let her in_. To stop pushing, and denying, and hurting. A pang of guilt hits me as I think of how much I've hurt her. Of how many times I've made that dorky ass smile falter.

"Fuck, Vega. Look what a sappy mess you're making of me…" I mumble.

Just then, I hear voices in the hall and my head snaps up towards the door, heart nearly stopping completely in anticipation.

"Where are you taking me? What's going on?" I hear a familiar voice question anxiously. The door begins to open and I see Vega in an orange jumpsuit walking nervously between the two soldiers. "It was a _shoe malfunction_! Please don't kill me! Please just let me expla-" she stops talking and her eyes go wide. "J-Jade?" I give her a weak smile and wave. "Oh my God, Jade!" She cries and runs forward, enveloping me in a bone crushing hug that sends us stumbling backwards until my back hits the wall. She buries her face between my neck and shoulder and starts crying, shaking violently. I tighten my embrace around her frail body and look up at the guards.

"You have fifteen minutes." The short one informs us.

"Thirty." I snap, still holding the sobbing girl. His eyes flicker nervously to his partner, then back at me. He gives at curt nod and they exit the room, closing the door behind them.

As soon as they leave I turn my attention to the girl in my arms. She's not making any noise, but the way her shoulders jerk tells me she's still sobbing. I shut my eyes and press my face against the side of her head as I run my right hand up and down her back in soothing motions. After a few minutes her sobs die down and I feel her breathing on my neck even out. Her death grip on me loosens as she goes limp, relying completely on me to keep her standing. I let my back slide down the wall slowly, gently bringing her body with me until we're sitting on the ground and I'm basically cradling her in my arms.

"Everything's gonna be ok, Vega." I murmur into her hair. "I'm here; I won't let them hurt you… that's my job." I joke, desperate to see her smile, to see she's alright, to know she's still Tori. I feel her body shake as she chuckles weakly, face still buried in my neck. She pulls back slowly, and hesitantly looks up at me. My heart clenches when I see her puffy bloodshot eyes looking fearfully into mine. Her tear streaked cheeks a rosy pink color, and her bottom lip caught between her teeth to keep it from quivering.

"I'm scared, Jade." She whimpers softly, a new tear rolling down her cheek. "I don't want to be here."

"I know." I say, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I'll think of a way to get you out ok? I got myself in, so it shouldn't be that hard to get you out." I smile as I wipe away the tears. Her eyebrows furrow and she shakes her head.

"No, Jade. You can't do that. You'll get in trouble! They'll put you in here… or worse!" She cries.

"I'm not just gonna leave you in here, Vega." I retort.

"No." She states in a determined tone, pushing herself off of me to stand up. "I will not have anything happen to you just to try and help me." I stare at her unbelievingly. _The nerve of this fucking girl._

"I'm not _asking _for your permission, Vega." I snap as I too get on my feet. "I'm gonna get you out of here and that's final." She huffs and I can see all previous emotions evaporate as she's consumed with anger.

"Why must you be so stubborn, Jade?" she growls, nostrils flaring. "Not even an hour ago you were running away and leaving me to fend for myself as I was being arrested by these lunatics, and now you're set on making everything even worse by trying to break me out of prison? Are you back to hating me again?" she hisses. The guilt I was feeling earlier returns in full force at her words and I have to tear my eyes away, unable to keep her gaze.

"I-I'm sorry… that I left you like that. I…" I close my eyes and shake my head. "I-I got scared so I ran, but I swear Tori, I didn't think they'd take you!" I cry, pleading her with my eyes to believe how bad I felt about it. But she just turns away from me, trying to conceal the hurt in her eyes. "Fuck." I mumble. "Tori, I'm sorry, I really am. I know I'm a selfish bitch, and I don't know how to think of anyone but myself. And-and I don't fucking deserve you… like, at all! But I want to try! Ok? I-I'm-... _shit_… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you… I shouldn't have fucking left you..." I trail off as I slump against the wall. Tori turns around and looks at me, eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed. Finally, her expression softens and she lets out a loud sigh…

"No…" she says, "It's ok-"

"No it's not." I snap. "It was wrong, and I-"

"There's nothing you could've done, Jade." She states simply. "They would've taken me anyway, and if you _had_ done something, knowing you it would have probably landed you in here too."

"That would've been better." I say standing up straight and walking up to her. "At least I'd be here with you." She stares at me as a small smile forms on her lips.

"I have to admit, it _would _have been fun to have Jade West as part of my prison crew." I scoff and smirk back.

"Who says I would have wanted you in my crew to begin with?" I tease. She gasps and raises her arm to swat at me playfully but I grab it midair and pull her into a hug. She seems startled at first but quickly returns it. "I really am sorry though." I mumble.

"I know." She whispers. "I'm sorry too. I know you only had good intentions when you offered to break me out of prison." She adds with a chuckle.

"It's the thought that counts, right?" I joke. She laughs and pulls away enough to be able to see my face.

"Hey, I was meaning to ask you, how'd you get them to let you come in? I heard visiting hours were over a while ago."

"Never underestimate the power of the Darkside, my young apprentice." I tell her with a wink.

"Ok, Darth West," she giggles. "Enlighten me." I hesitate a second or two, wondering whether or not I should even tell her. Oh, whatever.

"I promised those two guards I'd show them my tits if they let me see you." I deadpan.

"Jade!" she cries pushing away from me. "You did not!"

"I did too."

"Oh my God!"

"Vega, calm down, it's no big deal."

"What do you mean 'it's no big deal'?" she snaps blushing profusely.

"It's really not… They're just boobs! Look I'll show you-" I reach down to pull at the hem of my shirt when I feel her grab my hands.

"_No_!" she shrieks, turning several shades of red darker.

"I don't know why you're so freaked out." I frown. "They're really quite nice, if you'll just let me-"

"I believe you, Jade! I believe you… I just-" she cups her red cheeks with her hands and shakes her head. "I just can't believe you would do that… for me." I can't help but let out a loud laugh at that.

"Why, I _never _thought the day would come when a fine lady would expose her bosom for me, all in the name of friendship!" I exclaim in the voice I use to mock her. She blushes even more.

"I don't talk like that!" she snaps while laughing.

"God, Vega." I say as my laughter dies down. "You're such a dork." She bites her lower lip with a smile and looks down at her shoes, tugging absentmindedly at one of the buttons on the jumpsuit. The door suddenly creaks open and Shorty sticks his head in.

"Five minutes." He says and quickly disappears again. I turn to Tori and see her face filled with worry again, her lips already quivering.

"Hey," I call, but she remains looking at the door with wide scared eyes. "Hey, look at me." I demand. She slowly drags her eyes to mine. "You're gonna be ok. Everything will be fine." She smiles faintly, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Beck said Trina and Sikowitz are meeting with the Chancellor tomorrow, I'm sure they'll straighten everything out." I say with as much confidence as I can muster, trying to convince both her and myself.

"Yea…" she whispers. "It will." She looks up at me again, this time with a more heartfelt smile. "Thank you for coming to see me, Jade. I know how dangerous this was for you."

"Nothing my girls can't get me out of." I say motioning down to my breasts. She giggles and shakes her head. Just then the door opens again and the guards enter. Tori nervously smiles at me once more and walks over to them, where they proceed to lead her out into the dark hallway. I let out a loud sigh as I'm once again left alone in the room with an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

I hate leaving her here. But she's right, breaking her out would only result in more problems for her and the group. All there's left to do is wait and see if Trina and Sikowitz can talk some sense into that moron with the eyepatch. Until then, Vega will have to do her best to survive in this place on her own.

The soldiers return to take me back out and an idea suddenly occurs to me of how I can help Vega.

"We are ready to see your friends now, buddy." The tall guard says with an idiotic grin. I roll my eyes and lift up my shirt, revealing only my right breast. Their eyes bulge and their mouths drop. After a few seconds, I pull my shirt back down. They both turn their full attention to my left one. When I don't do anything, they look up at me with puzzled expressions.

"You'll get to see the other one tomorrow, _if_, you do me another favor." I say. They look at each other and then back at me, nodding vigorously. _I must have some pretty nice tits. _

"Make sure that word gets around to all prisoners that my friend was the one who stabbed the Chancellors eye with her bare shoe, and that she's not to be crossed, if they value their lives." Their eyes widen in fear as they slowly nod their heads. "Good. I'll be coming back tomorrow, and if you do as I say, you'll get to meet both Lucy _and _Ethel."

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**AN:** **I'll try to have an update up for you guys ASAP! I normally do my writing at work, since it's usually pretty slow, (and so I can feel like a real writer since I get paid for the time I do it) but for some reason I've been given a bunch of crap to do lately... :/ so I think my boss has caught on and feels the need to make me useful U_U**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hey hey hey! Ok, so as always, thank you for your reviews/follows and favorites. I love it! :D **

**A few people have wondered where exactly this story is going setting wise, if I'm gonna continue in Yerba or if we're taking it back home, and the answer to that is: I don't know yet O_O haha this story simply takes shape as I write it. I mean, I have an idea of where I want it to go, and how things will go unfolding, but then things change and, well, I go along with it if it feels right! So, yea, I guess all I can say is to sit back and enjoy the ride? ;)**

**So on that note, remain seated please, and keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. **

* * *

**Tori**

"Uh… Go fish." I say hesitantly, and before I know what's happening I'm on the ground with a sharp pain emanating from my left arm. I scramble to my feet as anger starts bubbling up from within me when I see one of the two prison women I'm playing cards with standing and holding a large stick. "Ok, that is _not _how we play Go Fish in America!" I snap, as I dust myself off. I know fighting back is probably the stupidest thing I could do given that these women are dangerous and ruthless, but I'm not gonna let myself be treated like this! I can't allow them to see how freaking scared and nervous I actually am or else they'll abuse me even more. She growls and raises the stick as she readies to hit me again, but the other woman stops her.

"Careful," she warns holding her back, "she's the one who stabbed the Chancellor's eyeball." I narrow my eyes at her and try to hold my ground. Her eyes widen and she begins sputtering apologies.

"I-I-I am so sorry." She mumbles backing away, dropping the stick as she turns to leave. The other woman follows closely behind.

"Yea!" I call after them, trying to sound as intimidating as I can. "Run faster!" But as soon as they turn the corner and are out of sight I pout and rub at my aching arm. "Owie…" I whimper.

This day has been pure crap! The meeting with the Chancellor this morning couldn't have gone worse. After my appointed lawyer turned out being a total wuss and crawled away, they had sentenced me to four years in Yerbanian prison! _Four years! _And now that I'm stuck here, I can't even make friends since everyone is either a psychopath or too scared to even approach me.

"Tori! _Psst! _Tori!" I'm brought out of my frustrating thoughts when I hear someone calling my name. I turn around and my spirit rises when I see Jade, Cat, Trina and Andre on the other side of the visiting fence. I run to them as they all worriedly gush over me. Well, all but Jade, who spits a sarcastic _'You've looked better.'_

But the memory from last night assures me that it's simply her playing the part. I shoot her a glare and turn back to the others, inquiring about my current situation. They inform me that Sikowitz, Beck and Robbie are contacting my parents as well as our American ambassador for assistance. That's when I notice Andre shoving spoonfuls of salt into his mouth as a side effect of his moth bite.

"So has anyone tried to beat you up?" Trina questions.

"No," I reply with fake bravado. "I've got some street cred in here." I look around and continue in a low voice, "'Cause they think I'm the psycho girl who stabbed the Chancellor's eye." Jade throws me a pleased smile, as though she were proud of me or something.

I explain to them that the prison holds both women and men with a simple fence separating the two groups just as Sheeba, a freakishly large and manly inmate who has a violent reputation, walks by. I see a sudden sparkle in Jade's eyes and my stomach tightens. _Uh-oh…_ Sure enough, as soon as Sheeba notices her staring and confronts her about it, the insults start flying. With every single one Sheeba gets angrier and angrier and all I can do is hope she won't let it out on me by association.

"Must you aggravate my fellow prisoners?" I demand once Sheeba stomps away.

"Yes I must." Is Jade's simple reply and I can tell she truly is pleased with herself.

Just then, the two women I was playing cards with return, hands full of rocks. _Well this can't be good… _

"Hey Vega!" one of them calls.

"Wanna play rocks?" the other one asks in a tone that makes my skin crawl. _Any type of prison game that has 'rocks' as part of its name cannot be painless. _But I figure going along with them will turn out less terrible than not doing so.

"Yea… Sure…" I squeak. I look at my friends one last time, pleading with my eyes for them to _please _get me out of here as soon as possible. They simply look at me solemnly and turn away to leave, but I manage to catch Jade's gaze before she does and notice her eyes are full of fear and concern for me, sending a small wave of warmth through my chest. I throw her a weak smile and she attempts to return it before spinning on her heel and catching up to the others. I make my way to the women who are smiling smugly.

"So…" I drawl, followed by a nervous laugh. "Where are _my _rocks?"

"Oh, you don't get them yet…" the one that had hit me with the stick informs me with a smirk. "You just stand by wall, and we throw rocks at you." My eyes widen and my jaw drops. "You get ten points for every rock you catch with hands."

"But careful," the other one warns. "You get five points taken off if you spill blood."

"And eight if you fall unconscious." I gulp.

"Uh… I don't know if I really feel like playing anymo-"

"Vega! Victoria!" a loud male voice suddenly calls. I spin around and see one of the guards from last night motioning for me to come from behind the visiting fence.

"That's me! Coming! On my way!" I yell as I run over to him, thanking the heavens for the interruption. I turn to the disappointed women and wave before reaching the fence.

"You must come with me now." He orders as he opens the gate. I follow him through the dark corridors until we get to the same room we were in the night before and immediately my heart skips a beat as I think of who could be behind that door. Sure enough I enter the room to see Jade standing by the small table in the center, tapping her foot nervously. Her face visibly relaxes as soon as she sees me and a wide smile pulls at my lips.

"Hey…" she breathes.

"Jade, what are you doing here? Where are the others?"

"I told them I was gonna hang back and see if I could talk to the prisoners in the psychotic ward." She says casually. "How you doing?" she adds in a soft voice.

"I'm ok…" I say with a sigh. "Well, as ok as I can be considering the fact I haven't gotten to shower and the food here tastes worse than-" I stop midsentence when I notice the guard is still in the room, standing by the door with a fixed stare on Jade's chest. My eyebrows shoot up and I turn back to Jade who is just noticing the same thing.

"Hey!" She calls snapping her fingers to break the trance he seems to be stuck in. "Do you mind?" she barks, shooting him a deadly glare. His eyes widen and he rushes out of the room after mumbling that he'll be back in five minutes to collect me. Jade lets out a loud sigh and turns her attention back to me. "Look, Vega," she starts, running her hand through her hair. "I heard what happened with the Chancellor this morning. Things aren't looking too good and… well, the thought of you staying in this shithole any longer is just… God, I just don't like the idea of you suffering in any way that isn't caused by me, you know?"

It isn't exactly the sweetest comment in the world, but the fact that it's coming from Jade West makes it amazing all the same. I feel myself blush as a small grin grows on my face.

"You're worried about me." I mutter. And she scrunches up her face in confusion. "You… you care about me." I say as my blush intensifies. She rolls her eyes and an amused smile appears on her lips.

"God, Vega…" She chuckles. "Please don't tell me you're gonna have a hallmark moment every time I say something relatively nice to you. 'Cause I don't know if I can handle all the estrogen you like to release into this friendship." I can't help but laugh at that, biting my lower lip and looking at her sheepishly. "Tori, listen to me, and listen to me good 'cause I'll probably never say this out loud again. So file it away in some obscure folder within your brain labeled 'Tori's Precious Vomit Inducing Moments'." I giggle and nod for her to continue, heart beating in anticipation. She comes closer to me and puts both hands on my shoulders, holding me in place and looks me dead in the eye before she speaks. "Annoying." I frown. "That was the one word I could use to describe how I saw you before. Well, one of many other synonyms." I frown even more. "_But_, for some fucking reason, you've grown on me, Vega. I like having you around. I like being with you. I like talking to you. I like… _you._" I blush and smile. She rolls her eyes. "Don't ask me why, don't ask me how. But I now find myself _wanting_ you around me. Wanting to be around _you_. I don't have a fucking clue as to how friendships work and what I'm to expect or what is to be expected of me_, _but, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I feel happy. Not just content, or appeased, but actually _happy _with myself. And maybe Beck was right about all that shit he had been saying of how my life was in need of something with feelings and whatnot, but," she looks down at the floor and then slowly brings her gaze to meet mine again. "I have a feeling you're what I needed." She says softly, and my heart just about stops. "So yea… I care about you. I mean, how could I not?" she smirks, "You're my best friend." And now my heart is completely flat lined. "And I'm not just saying that because of the past two days or because there's really not _a lot _of competition for the position, but because I realize now that you're the only one, aside from maybe Beck, who has always been there for me. Even when I didn't see it, or didn't _want _to see it. You were always there. You always cared. And, I want to be able to one day say that I got to be as good a friend to you as you have been to me..." she finishes with a coy smile. I stand there, completely stunned. She grimaces and gives a step back. "Now please, for the love of God, don't cry and make me regret everything…" She pleads. I let out a small laugh and shake my head 'no', even when I feel the familiar burning behind my eyes. There's a light knock on the door and I know our time is almost up. She clears her throat and looks at me seriously again. "We're gonna go talk to the Chancellor in about an hour to ask him to change his mind for the last time. If for some reason it doesn't work, I don't care what you say, I'm getting you out of here." The door opens before I can reply and the guard motions that it's time for me to follow him back outside. I turn to Jade and she gives me a small reassuring smile accompanied by a nod. I follow behind the guard and find myself smiling like an idiot the entire way to the yard. I have a warm flooding feeling in my stomach, and I'm certain everything will be ok…

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You murdered the man's octopus?" I spit out disbelievingly, to which Robbie simply gives an ashamed nod. I shake my head as the urge to smack him in the face gets harder and harder to suppress.

Two hours after Jade's visit I had been sitting outside, quietly munching on some mushrooms covered in gravy that one of the inmates had offered me in return for me promising to not kill her or commit assault upon her eyeball, when I heard familiar voices coming from inside the building. Suddenly, I see Trina, Jade, Cat and Robbie being shoved out into the yard, wearing matching orange jumpsuits. I hear a similar outburst behind me and when I turn to face the man's side of the prison I'm surprised to see Beck and Andre in a similar situation. Soon enough I was filled in on the details of how and why they got to join me in the big house.

"Unbelievable." I exclaim as I pace back and forth in front of the fence. "Un-freaking-believable!"

"Tori, chill out…" Andre tries to calm me from where he's standing next to Beck on the other side of the fence. Robbie remains with his head hanging low, and I still don't understand what the heck he's doing on this side anyway? I mean, I know he's not the screaming portrayal of masculinity but- _oh nevermind_. Cat's wide eyes follow my movements as she stands nervously next to the sullen boy. An alert Trina, frantically scans the yard, fearing she'll be preyed upon by the women for her beauty and grace; while Jade simply stands there with a scowl on her face, not saying a word.

"Chill out? _Chill out?"_ I cry. "Andre, we're _in prison! _I don't know if you understand the gravity of the situation!"

"Well you bitching about it isn't gonna help said situation, now is it?" Jade barks. I snap my head in her direction, surprised to see her glaring intently at me, and I can tell she's not pretending or playing her role, she truly _is _annoyed by me. "So why don't you lay off the nerd and _chill… the fuck… out?" _I feel the anger already seething through me bubble up even more. I glare back at her just as venomously.

"Well forgive me for freaking out just a little over the fact that my only hope for getting out of this place is now standing next to me in the same situation!" I spit. And even though my statement sounded like I was speaking about the group as a whole, I know Jade got the underhanded comment I purposefully threw at her. A small flicker of hurt flashes through her eyes before she looks away and I immediately feel terrible. It wasn't Jade's fault. And it wasn't Robbie's either… Well, it kinda was, but yelling at him isn't gonna get us out of here any quicker. I let out a loud sigh and let myself fall back against the fence.

"Sikowitz is somewhere out there." I hear Beck's assuring voice behind me. "I'm sure he's thinking up something to get us out of here." _Great, our hope now lies solely in the hands of Erwin Sikowitz. _I simply nod and let out another sigh.

For the next half hour we all kinda do our own thing. Beck and Andre disappear somewhere on the men's side. Cat runs off no doubt to attempt to make new friends. Trina, Jade and I awkwardly stand in the back while Robbie goes and asks the guards _again_ why he's on the women's side of the prison when he's "clearly a boy". Jade has been completely avoiding me since our little outburst. I keep trying to make eye-contact and let her know that I'm sorry but every time I catch her gaze she quickly looks somewhere else. Suddenly, Trina begins tapping nervously on my arm.

"Uh… Large scary lady coming." She whimpers. "Large scary lady coming!" I turn to see what she's talking about and see Sheeba making her way to us slowly. _Son of a poptart! Just what we needed…_

"Oh great!" I groan. "It's the one you called big and stupid the other day!"

"Whatever, I'm not scared of this chick." Jade retorts walking up to Sheeba, who towers over her.

"So…" Sheeba drawls. "Do I still look big and _stupid_?"

"Alright, listen _hot stuff,_" Jade starts defiantly. "You better just turn yourself around and walk away from me caus-_hmph!_" she's suddenly cut off by Sheeba's gigantic hand covering her face and flinging her down to the ground in one swift motion. "I like it on the ground." Jade still has the audacity to respond.

I stand frozen in shock looking down at Jade when suddenly Trina brings to my attention that Sheeba is in no way finished with her, as she's currently grabbing a large wooden stick and I can only imagine what she plans on doing with it. Something within me snaps and I jump in front of the prison's most dangerous inmate.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" I shout. "_Wasov katuv_!"

"_Habaca bul_?!" Sheeba yells outraged.

"She's my friend." I repeat firmly, now in English. Jade looks at me and then at Sheeba and I thank whatever force is up there that she has enough common sense to not disagree.

"Yea, we-we're super close." She stutters.

"You are lucky…" Sheeba growls holding the stick to Jade's neck. "Ameri_can._" She drops the stick and walks away while I offer Jade my hand to help her up.

"I didn't need your help!" She snaps. _Are you freaking kidding me? You've got to be kidding me._

"She would have _eaten _you!" I exclaim. She looks at me for a moment and then back at the ground.

"She wouldn't have liked it…" She mumbles.

Just then Cat finally appears, informing us that the reason for her disappearance was the fact that she joined a prison gang.

_God, these people are gonna be the end of me! I was better off when I was in here alone._

Suddenly, from behind us, a strange soldiers starts calling out our attention. We look at each other in confusion before he reveals himself to be Sikowitz in a Yerbanian soldier costume he purchased at the hotel's gift shop. Why on earth they would sell that to civilians, I have no idea… He informs us that he was able to get his hands on a duck truck from a farmer. His plans consists of picking us up at the access road behind the prison tomorrow night; but as far as having a plan to _escape _in order to get to the truck, he says we're on our own, and disappears. Cat soon leaves as well when she spots her new gang friends, excitedly skipping over to them, and soon she has them all dancing some strange choreography that only Cat would come up with. I stare at them and an idea suddenly occurs to me of how we can get out of here by tomorrow night to meet Sikowitz. I run over to Sheeba who is standing by the fence making seductive eyes at one of the men on the other side who smiles more out of fear than lust.

"Hey Sheeba!" I call. "All these prisoners… they'll listen to you right?" She nods. "You wanna get out of here?" I say giving her an insinuating nod. She quickly understands and smiles in return. The next part of my plan is tricky, as it involves getting an audience with the Chancellor. I go to the guards that are currently on duty which happen to be the same ones that have been involved in my secret meetings with Jade. I ask them to take me to the Chancellor so I may confess the truth. They agree right away, and I let out a relieved sigh as I was afraid they'd want to see some part of me in exchange for doing so.

When I am taken before the Chancellor, I confess to my crime and ask him to attend to a show we, along with the rest of the prisoners, will be performing as an apology. Surprisingly, he agrees, making me squeal in joy. I'm taken back to the prison and led straight to my cell since it's about to be lights out. And to my surprise, I find Jade pacing nervously in the space between the two beds, freezing when she sees me enter. The guard leaves and closes the heavy concrete door. The cells here all consist of small rooms with concrete walls, no bars. The only small window being on the door itself and is only able to be opened from the outside. As soon as she hears the lock click into place she explodes.

"Where the fuck have you been?!" She cries throwing her hands up in the air. I jump back, startled at her sudden outburst.

"I-I went to see the Chancellor…" I stammer. "I had to ask him if we could- I have a plan! An-And I really think it could work, we just need to-"

"And you didn't think of maybe _telling _someone where you were going? Instead of just running off and disappearing for forty fucking minutes?" she barks, seething with anger. "We didn't know where you went! Just that those two damn guards took off with you!" she closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Jesus, Vega!" I stand there, not knowing what to say… I'm still not used to caring and protective Jade. It amazes me every single time and I don't know if that's gonna diminish soon. I slowly walk over to where she's standing; eyes still closed, fingers holding the bridge of her nose.

"I'm sorry…" I whisper putting a tentative hand on her shoulder. "You're right, I should've said something. I just- I just got so excited 'cause this plan could actually work and I focused so much and- I'm sorry. I am." Jade's breathing evens out a little but she still remains with her eyes closed and nose pinched. Finally she sighs and lets her tense shoulders drop.

"God, Vega…" She scoffs. "You know that I actually thought you had gone to offer yourself as some sort of virgin sacrifice in exchange for our freedom?" she chuckles as she drops onto one of the beds. I laugh and sit on the opposite bed, looking at her.

"Wait... virgin?" I ask, furrowing my brows. "What makes you think I'm still a virgin?" I smirk. Jade's eyebrows shoot up and she looks at me questioningly. "And, not that I'm not extremely happy you're here but, I thought I was rooming with Cat?" I ask before she gets a chance to comment on my previous statement.

"That meant I had to room with Trina, and unless we want to add murder to our list of charges, that couldn't really happen. So I told Shorty earlier today to change my name with Cat's and make it seem like it was their mistake, so no one would get suspicious as to why I was choosing to room with you. Although, I really doubt anyone would question someone wanting to get away from your sister." I nod in agreement.

"Wait." I gasp suddenly. "How did you get Shorty to do that for you?" Jade rolls her eyes and turns away from me on the bed. "Jade…." I drawl in a warning tone.

"Goddammit, Tori! They're just boobs! Get over it!"

**Jade**

"You know what, Vega? That might just actually work." I say with a smirk once she finishes telling me about her plan. "You really do put that old brain to good use once in a while…" I tease. She throws me a dirty look and sticks out her tongue, making me chuckle.

"Now all we need is to think of a song to do and come up with the choreography." She mumbles as she falls back on the bed. "I just hope we have enough time. Learning everything in just a few hours is difficult. Now add teaching it to fifty other prisoners who've never even danced in their lives. _Ugh_…" That _is _a long stretch… Suddenly I get an idea.

"What if all we have to do is teach them the choreography?" I ask with a smile.

"What do you mean?" she questions lifting up her head to look over at me.

"Remember that number we did in the 'Flashback of the Classics' show last year? The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"?" Her eyes brighten up and she shoots up into a sitting position on the bed.

"Yea! It was the big number at the end!" She cries, and I nod. "Oh my God! That's perfect!" she jumps up and begins pacing excitedly. "We all know it already so we can split up the prisoners into groups so we can teach them faster!"

"There. Problem solved." She turns around and gives me a sly smile.

"So you're _not _just a pretty face." I simply glare at her with a bored expression. Her smile vanishes and is replaced by her infamous pout. "What, so _you _can tease me about my intelligence but I can't tease _you?_"

"That's correct." Her pout deepens, making me smile internally. "Man, I can't believe they have lights out at nine fucking p.m." I grumble playing with a loose thread in my jumpsuit. "What the hell are we supposed to do in this damn box?"

"Oh come on, Jade! I'm sure we could think of something to keep each other entertained… We could play games?" I groan. "We could sing?" Another groan. "We could tell each other stories or something?"

"And then you could put on a giant green and purple dinosaur costume and get your own daytime children's show…" I mutter. Tori lets out an exasperated huff.

"Ok, fine!" She snaps. "What do _you _feel like doing?" I sigh as I let my head hang upside down from the bed, and stare at Vega.

"You can tell me about the loss of your V-card…" I say in a mischievous tone and wiggle my eyebrows at her. She blushes and lets out a groan of her own.

"How did I know you weren't gonna let that go?" She whines.

"Because you know me too well, Vega. Congratulations on achieving a new level of Jade expertise. Now spit it out." She groans again but sits up on the bed.

"Ok fine, what do you wanna know?" she says reluctuantly.

"When? Who? Where? How old? And rating? Come on, Tori! The basics!" I number each point off on a finger. Vega blushes impossibly more and takes a deep breath.

"It was four months ago, so I was already sixteen…"

"Four months ago you were with that Steven guy weren't you? The asshole that was cheating on you with the web show chick?" She looks down and nods her head. "Damn… Sucks ass." I mumble.

"Yea. I lost my virginity to a stupid jerk in the backseat of his car. How cliché of me." She adds bitterly.

"Well, was he at least any good?" I ask flipping around so that now I'm on my stomach looking across at her. She remains quiet for a moment as she thinks it over.

"Um… I don't know. I guess?" she says with a shrug. "I mean, I don't have anything to compare it to, so…" she laughs nervously and blushes all over again. I look at her disbelievingly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I cry hoisting myself up on my elbows. "Did you enjoy yourself? Did you have an orgasm?" And I swear I've never seen Tori Vega turn so red.

"_Jade_!" She cries with wide eyes as she lifts her hands to cup her ears. I let out a loud hearty laugh and let my face fall into the bed to stifle my outburst. I compose myself a bit and look back up just to see she's still bright red with an expression of pure terror on her face. I start laughing again.

"God, Vega!" I manage to say as I finally regain control. "I never thought you were such a prude!"

"I'm not!" she cries indignantly. "I just- I just don't think that we need to talk about such personal things."

"Oh Vega, relax!" I chuckle. "I'm not asking for you to draw it down for me, or give me the play by play details…" She now covers her eyes and shakes her head. "It was a simple 'yes' or 'no' question!" She continues shaking her head but I see her color is slowly returning to normal. "So?" I push. "Yes? Or no?"

"I-I… I don't know." She mumbles. "How are you supposed to know?" I stare at her and facepalm myself.

"That's a no then." I deadpan. Her eyes scrunch up and she lifts an eyebrow at me.

"What? How-how do you know?"

"Trust me, you would _know._" She looks down and I can tell she's a bit bummed out and embarrassed about the whole thing. "But hey! It's ok, maybe the next guy won't be a jackass and you'll like him and he'll actually like you. It'll count like your first time!" I exclaim with a happy grin. She looks over at me and a smile slowly tugs at her lips.

"Yea… I suppose."

"My first time wasn't any good either." I blurt out. "Both he and I didn't know what the fuck we were doing. It was all awkward and painful. And over before I even got to take my shirt off!" I chuckle. "Oh and it wasn't with Beck if that's what you're thinking." I clarify to which her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "His name was Gavin, and he was the son of one of my dad's business partners. I had just turned fifteen and he was seventeen. My dad was hosting a business dinner at the house and insisted that I be on my best behavior. 'Don't embarrass me now, Jadelyn.' He had said. 'Use the acting skills they teach you at that overly priced school of yours to act like a decent young woman.' So I showed him just how decent I could act; by fucking his partner's teenage son on top of his desk in the study." I trail off as my smile falters.

A sudden dip in the mattress brings me out of my thoughts and I turn to see Vega sitting next to me on the bed. It's not until she wipes at my cheeks with the back of her hand that I realize I'm crying. I look up at her, confused and she simply smiles back tenderly, with understanding. She tugs on my shoulder so I can shift on the bed and rest my head on her lap, to which I immediately comply. She begins softly running her fingers through my hair with one hand, and stroking my face with the other. I let my eyes flutter shut and as soon as they do I feel two new tears slide down my cheeks, which Tori softly caresses away.

"I don't usually like to speak ill of people." She says softly. "Specially people I don't know personally… But I think your dad is an asshole." My eyes snap open and I stare at her in shock. She smirks and continues. "To have such a beautiful, amazing and unique daughter," she says while delicately running a finger over my pierced eyebrow. "So talented and determined." Another tear escapes and once again is quickly swept away by a soft finger. "And yet treat her as though she's not worthy. As though she doesn't measure up to his expectations; to his accomplishments." A warm slender finger runs over my opposite eyebrow, making my eyes close again. "Not realizing that his one true accomplishment, his one and only worthy creation, has been, and always will be… Her."

I squeeze my eyes shut and I feel multiple tears race down my face. It's as though I'm no longer in control of my own body, of my own reactions, of my feelings. I feel weak and numb. Ready to simply fall and drown in the sea of emotions that are currently overwhelming me. It takes me a moment to realize I'm sobbing quietly now. I feel Tori gently shift my head from her lap to the bed, where I turn on my side and take on a semi fetal position as I continue weeping. I don't recognize half the things I'm feeling, and the commotion leads me to confusion which begins turning into frustration, and will eventually morph into anger, as the things I don't understand so often do. It makes no sense. It just makes no fucking sense to feel this torn, this broken; when I have always prided myself in keeping everything whole, safe, and together. But then why do I feel like I'm falling apart? Like I'm coming undone? Bursting at the seams? Too weak to keep myself together anymore.

All my control is slowly slipping away… and I'm completely paralyzed. I can't move, I can't fight, I can't breathe.

Suddenly, slender hands slide around my waist and I feel a warm body press against my back. Long soft hair tickles my skin as a face buries itself between my neck and shoulder, whispering soft reassuring words into my ear. She holds on to me tightly, telling me through her embrace that it's ok to let go. To give up. Because she'll be here to hold me together. She'll keep me from falling apart, from coming undone. She presses soft kisses into my hair, sending a warmth throughout my body. Healing it from the inside out. Putting back together the broken pieces that until now had simply been swept under a rug. And it's not until she envelops me completely, until she has covered every inch of me with her reassuring caresses and whispers, it's not until then that I let go. That I give in.

That I can breathe.

* * *

**AN: We're moving forward! ;) Hope you guys liked it! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hiiiii! Sorry for the delay... I've been trying, honest! :( **

**Well, I don't have much to say today, so, without further ado, here's the next chapter! :)**

* * *

**Tori**

The light bulb's flickering noises overhead wake me up. I blink several times as I attempt to adjust my eyes and bring my mind into a full conscious state. My eyes beginning to focus as I groggily take in my surroundings.

_Black. All I see is black._

I scrunch up my face in confusion and try to push myself up just to have my movements limited by the fact that I'm all tangled up in something. Something warm and soft.

And it's moving.

My eyes widen and I'm about to cry out when, somewhere within this tangled mess I find myself in, I feel something that seems a lot like a hand cover my own and press it against a soft warm surface that rises and drops at a steady pace.

I realize I'm not tangled in something, but actually in some_one_.

_Jade._

The memories from last night gradually flood my hazy mind. Jade and I had been talking, and then she had started crying, so I had held her until she fell asleep and then I guess I had fallen asleep as well. Somehow we ended up even more interlaced in each other than we had been. From our locked legs to our overlapping hair. Her back is still pressed against my front, with my left arm draped across her stomach. Her fingers, from the hand I felt earlier,are intertwined with my own and pressed against her chest. My right arm is curled under her, working as a pillow and completely numb, while my face is pressed against the back of her head, which explains why I only see black. Judging by the beating of her heart on my hand, and the way her breath steadily feathers my arm, I can tell she's still sound asleep. I don't want to wake her, and I'm certain that trying to pull apart from our intricate embrace will do just that, so I decide to remain still until she awakens on her own. I let my body relax as my mind goes over last night's events.

God, I had never seen Jade like that. Sure I'd seen her cry before. Like when she had come to my house with a broken kite and begged me to help her get Beck back. But even that time wasn't anywhere near as bad as this had been. It was as though all her walls, all her defenses, all her restraints, had suddenly collapsed, leaving her completely exposed, not only to me but to herself as well. She seemed just as shocked as I had been to realize how hurt and broken she really was.

I find myself pulling her closer as I recall how pained her expression had been when she talked about her father. Just thinking about it makes me feel angry all over again. Even through the brief interaction I had with him the time he attended her play I could tell he wasn't the most loving and caring of fathers. His expression so cold and distant. Jade had been trying so hard to impress him and even admitting that he had thought her play was excellent seemed forced and insincere. I bet it was things like that that led her to do what she did with that Gavin guy… I close my eyes as I feel my heart clenching in my chest. The fact that she felt the need to put herself through that just to spite him, to get his attention through those means since nothing else had worked.

_It's not fair_. He's the reason she built all those walls around herself. He's the reason she doesn't let anybody see her true self. He's the reason she's so broken… And it's just not fair! Nobody should have to feel so dejected and worthless by anyone! Much less their own parent! _He's _the one who doesn't deserve her. He's the one who's too blind to see how utterly amazing she is. How beautiful she is inside and out. And the fact that deep beneath her seemingly hard and confident exterior, lay infinite doubts and insecurities just pisses me off even more. I wonder where her mom is in all this? Does she make up for her father? Or is she just as bad, if not worse? The thought makes my skin crawl.

"I'll help you see." I whisper into her neck. "I'll help you see how amazing you are." And I'm not sure what exactly I mean by that, or how I'm even going to accomplish it. All I know is that I have a sudden need to care for her, to protect her, to make her see what I see in her…

Just then she begins to stir. I feel her inhale deeply and begin stretching her legs on my own when suddenly she freezes and tenses up, no doubt startled like I was upon realizing the position we're currently in. I, too, remain still, even holding my breath as I wait to see what her reaction will be. Eventually I feel her relax and her hold on my hand softens as she tentatively runs her thumb over my knuckles. Relieved, I close my eyes and let out the breath I was holding.

"Tori?" She whispers.

"Hmm?"

"I can't feel half my fucking body." I laugh softly and press my face into her hair as I feel her own chuckles vibrate through her body.

"That makes two of us." I mutter, but make no attempt to move and neither does she, instead she simply continues caressing my hand. We stay like that for a few more minutes, and for some reason it's not awkward or weird. In fact, it's the complete opposite, like it's the most normal thing in the world for Jade West to cuddle with Tori Vega. I smirk at the thought.

"Sorry about yesterday." She suddenly blurts out. I scrunch up my eyebrows and open my mouth to speak but she quickly continues. "I-I don't know why I got all stupid and pathetic… nothing like that had ever happened to me before." She lets out a small embarrassed laugh. "I just… I just hope that doesn't make you see me any differently… like I'm all weak and dumb or something." She trails off and I can hear the fear in her voice. Like she's truly afraid that having revealed such a raw part of herself will make me see her as less. I pull my arm out from underneath her head so I can lift myself up on my elbow and look at her. She turns her head slightly to be able to return my gaze, still tightly holding to my other hand.

"Jade," I begin, looking deep into her frightened green eyes. "Nothing, ok? _Nothing, _you ever tell me will make me think any less of you. Please don't ever think that." She looks away briefly, but her gaze eventually returns to meet mine. I give her a tender smile and continue. "If anything, the more I learn about you, the more of you that you allow me to see," I use my recently freed hand to gently tuck some hair behind her ear. "the more my respect and admiration for you grows." She rolls her eyes at my words but her blush and smile show she's relieved. "You'll always be badass Jade West to me." I add with a wink. Her smile slowly fades as she continues looking at me. "What?" I ask softly.

"It's just- It amazes me… the effect you have on me." She mutters and my heart skips. "Like, I feel things differently… _see _them differently. And normally, that would scare the shit out of me." She adds with a faint smirk. "But with you, it's like-like I don't have to be scared, you know? I feel like I'll be fine… And I think that should scare me the most, but strangely, it doesn't " She continues piercing my eyes and all I can do is stare back. Suddenly she closes her eyes and shakes her head with a smile. "Shit, the fact that I'm even telling you this is fucking nuts…" She says with a laugh, lifting her free hand to her face and pinching the bridge of her nose. "God, what the fuck are you turning me into, Vega?" she cries dramatically, making me laugh.

"Could it be? Am I causing Jade West to have-_gasp_-feelings?!" I tease, bringing my hand to my mouth as I pretend to be stunned. She smiles and punches me playfully in the shoulder.

"Now, now, don't get too cocky Vega…" She warns as she sits up and stretches. I continue laughing and do the same, causing several bones in my body to crack."You alright there grandma?"she taunts.

"Hey! You're the one who used my poor body as a human pillow and blanket to cuddle with all night!"

"And if you ever tell another living soul about that I will use you as a human _dartboard_!" She snaps grabbing the pillow and throwing it at me, laughing when the impact almost causes me to fall off the bed. I gape at her with feigned shock and quickly throw the pillow back, missing her head by a good six inches. She looks at me unimpressed.

The sound of the lock sliding open startles us both and I quickly jump over to the other bed and try to look as casual as I can by folding my arms behind my head and crossing my legs. Jade rolls her eyes and throws me a sarcastic smile and thumbs up just as the door opens and we begin another, and hopefully our last, day in Yerbanian prison.

After informing the rest of the group about the plan, we got to work. With Sheeba's help, we were able to gather a group of the most able prisoners and start teaching them the choreography. We each took on a group of ten to make things faster, and after about three hours we began doing run-throughs together. Everything was coming along perfectly and I had more and more faith that this plan would really work.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"The Chancellor is here!" Cat whispers as she peeks through the curtains.

"Ok, guys this is it." I say turning to my friends. "If we do this right, we'll be out of here by tonight." They all give me affirming nods and Jade winks at me, unseen by the rest. I smile and turn back to the curtain as I hear Scradis begin our introduction. On our cue, we make our way out and begin the song. Apart from Sheeba's several mistakes, the performance goes by spotlessly. The end of the song is nearing and my heart feels like it's gonna beat right out of my chest. As planned, we make our way to the curtain as the rest of the prisoners continue dancing, giving us time to get to the access road. As soon as Cat is past the curtain we take off running to the side exit that Sikowitz assured us would be unlocked. Sure enough as soon as Beck twists the doorknob, it swings open, revealing an old and rusty pickup truck with a picture of a duck on its side. We all hurriedly begin to climb inside just as the alarms of the prison go off, which means they are now aware of our escape.

"Wait!" Sikowitz grabs my arm before I can jump onto the bed of the truck. "Who's that guy?" he points to Sheeba.

"He's… a woman." I tell him breathlessly and hear him mumble a 'Good Gandhi' behind me as I climb on and he makes his way to the front of the truck. I drop down next to Andre and rest my head against a box as I try to catch my breath. Sikowitz starts the truck and we take off. It's not until forty-five minutes later when we're sailing off into the ocean and the island of Yerba is but a tiny dot in the distance that my heart begins to slow down, and I can take a deep breath.

The farmer and owner of the duck truck also happened to be a fisherman (and one of the richest men in Yerba, hence why he was the only one who seemed to own an actual motor vehicle). He had agreed to take us to the coast of Italy on his small fishing vessel in exchange for twelve crates of prison-made Yerbanian gravy, which Sikowitz had managed to steal using his fake soldier costume. The American Embassy in Italy had arranged plane tickets for us to fly back to California first thing tomorrow morning, and this whole craziness would finally be over.

I exhale deeply as I lean on the ship's rail and look out over the ocean at what I could still make out of the island under the moonlight.

"You're not thinking of jumping are you?" I hear Jade question as she comes and leans next to me on the rail.

"You're not thinking of throwing me over are you?" I ask as I look at her with a fake worried expression.

"As tempting as that sounds," she says. "I would hate to see that beautiful jumpsuit you're wearing ruined."

"Oh you think it's pretty do you?" I say twirling around in it. She chuckles and turns around, pressing her back against the rail as she looks at me. "It does compliment my legs doesn't it?" I pull at the baggy fabric over my thighs. "And the old blood and oil stains really bring out my eyes don't they?" I place my hands under my chin and bat my eyelashes.

"Oh yea…" Jade does an exaggerated sexy growl. "I'm surprised you weren't made into someone's bitch while you were in prison."

"Eww, Jade!" I cry as I feel myself blush. "Why do you always have to say stuff like that?"

"Because I love how awkward and embarrassed you get when I do." Jade says between laughs.

"Oh so I see that the torture won't stop even now that we're friends…" I state crossing my arms across my chest.

"_Specially _now that we're friends." She clarifies with a smug smile. "I'll just try to compensate for it by saying something nice to you once in a while."

"Yea?" I say with a coy smile. "Like what?" She taps her finger on her chin as she thinks it over.

"Your singing today didn't make me wanna puke." she says with a small, yet genuine smile. I feel a warmth, that I've begun to solely associate with Jade's semisweet comments, swell in my chest. I look down at my feet as I bite down on my lower lip, small smile of my own appearing. "But if you're gonna get all sappy and mushy like you are now every time I say something like that, I _will_ puke." she deadpans. I laugh and walk back to the rail where I resume my position next to her while she remains facing back towards the deck.

"It's crazy isn't it?" I ask softly. She turns her head slightly and I can feel her eyes on me as I continue looking at the ocean. "Everything that's happened. I mean, we're freaking fugitives for crying out loud!" I say with a laugh. "These have been the craziest four days of my life." I use my fingernail to chip away some of the paint on the rail. "It just… it all just seems like a dream. So surreal, you know? Everything… And I wonder how we'll be when we get back to our regular lives." I trail off and continue looking down at my handiwork on the rail.

"Vega…" Jade sighs. "Is this about you and me again? 'Cause I already told you-"

"That we're friends and you don't hate me anymore." I finish for her. "I know, I know. It's just…" I sigh, pushing myself away from the rail as I start pacing back and forth on the deck, Jade's eyes never leaving me. "What if we only got along here 'cause, I don't know, maybe 'cause we were in a different setting. Like, in a parallel universe of some sort, you know? And then once we go back to our regular routines and environments… maybe-maybe you'll realize that you really _don't _like me, and then you'll go back to being mean and I-I just don't, I just don't know if I'll be able to handle it! Not after what we've gone through. Not after I got to be with you, with the _real _you! It-I- it's all-"

"Vega. Vega." I'm still stammering as she comes and stands in front of me. "Tori, stop." I look at her, all wide-eyed and breathless. "Shut up and breathe before you fucking pass out and people think I killed you." She waits for me to take a couple of deep breaths before she continues. "I get it, ok? You forget that this whole… situation… is new for me too." She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "And I'm not promising that once we're back I'll be all frosting and Christmas lights but-"

"Christmas lights?" She sends me a glare that tells me to not interrupt again.

"_But, _I won't go back to being a total bitch to you ok? I honestly don't think I can anymore…" She says with surprise. "But that's not to say that we're gonna run and get ourselves some fucking friendship bracelets or start a scrapbook together or any of that cheesy shit, alright?" I nod. "I would really like to just, you know, continue what we have."

"So, we'll just keep being secret friends?" I say through a grin. She rolls her eyes but smiles and nods. "Yay!" I cheer softly as I clap my hands. "This trip was so worth it!"

"Yea…" She mutters, green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "It was."

And that Jade-warmth overtakes my body once again.

**Jade**

"God, it feels so fucking good to be able to shower and sleep in my own bed again!" I exclaim as I let myself fall back on the bed.

"That's all you've been doing since we got back? Showering and sleeping?" Beck asks as he sits down next to me.

"Yup." I reply, closing my eyes and relishing in the feel of the soft mattress underneath my body. "Since the time I entered my house yesterday, I've showered four times and taken long naps in-between."

"Wow… busy girl." He says with a grin. "Now, that you're all clean and rested, would you like to join us for some bowling this afternoon?"

"Who's 'us'?" I ask warily.

"Who else?" He retorts. "Us! The same people it always is…"

"You morons aren't tired of seeing each other after these last few days?" I groan as I bring my hands up to cover my face.

"Oh come on, Jade." He says with a pout, and I notice it's not nearly as cute as the one Vega makes. "We still have the rest of semester break left… You can't tell me you're planning on staying cooped up here for the next five days until school starts?"

"I would _love _that."

"Now, babe…" _Oh how I hate when he uses that damn tone with me. _"It'll be fun. I promise." He adds with his signature easy going grin. I roll my eyes and let out a long sigh. "Awesome. I'll go home to change and pick you up in about half an hour." He bends down and gives me a quick peck on the lips before he leaves. I let out another sigh and reach over to grab my phone from the nightstand by my bed. I scroll through my contacts and quickly find Vega's. Right as I'm about to press the button to dial I hesitate and instead press the one to text, typing a quick message and hitting send.

**-Hey. Are you going to the bowling thing?**

I place the phone on my stomach and close my eyes again as I wait for the reply, which comes no more than thirty seconds later.

**_-HEY! Yea of course! Are you?! :D_**

I roll my eyes and feel myself grin at how even her texting is so Vega-like. Whatever _that_ means…

**-I guess. I just wanted to make sure you were going. I don't think I can stand them by myself.**

I bite my lip as I wait for a response. _Was that too cheesy? Did I just tell her I actually _wanted _her to be there? Fuck…_

**_-Haha! Yea, I'll be there don't worry ;) Yay! I'm excited to see you! XD_**

**_-_****Yea, it's not like we haven't seen enough of each other lately. **

**-****_Just please promise me you won't wear orange O_O_**

I chuckle a bit at that before replying.

**_-_****Ah shit, now I have to go change.**

We continue texting back and forth until I'm walking down my driveway toward Beck's car and I let her know that we're on our way. Everyone is already there by the time we arrive. My eyes meet Vega's and she gives me a small nod and smile.

"Vega." I say with my typical bored tone.

"West." She says trying to match it and failing miserably, which makes me smirk.

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" Our attention is then turned to Cat who is jumping up and down excitedly and holding a piece of licorice in each hand, with a couple others hanging from her cleavage, where she normally keeps them. "Robbie already got us a lane! Let's go! Let's go! _Let's go!" _

"Damn Little Red…How much candy have you eaten?" Andre asks, looking at Cat with a concerned expression. She doesn't answer, but instead skips over to the bowling lanes while giggling like a maniac. Not even two minutes here and already I'm getting annoyed. We make our way over to the lanes and I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket with a new text message.

-**_Best out of three buys the other ice cream?_**

I glance up at Tori who motions with her head towards the lane.

-**I happen to be a very good bowler, Vega. Are you sure you wanna be humiliated AND have to buy me an ice cream for it?**

**-****_I think you're all talk, West._**

I snap my eyes over to her and see her smiling smugly. I send her an icy glare and punch in an answer.

-**You're on. **

And so we bowled. The group completely unaware of our little side game, as I continued to throw in my casual snarky comments at her, and she would react accordingly. Everyone just brushed it off as normal Jade and Tori behavior.

Vega turned out to be surprisingly good and actually beat me in the first game. Thankfully, I was able to beat her in the second one, but just barely. She kept throwing sly looks my way all throughout the games to which I simply glared in return. We're at the end of our third game now, with me ahead by just a few points. The only way she will be able to beat me is if she gets a strike. She grabs the ball and lifts it up to her face while she gets into position. She pulls her hand back and in one swift and graceful motion, brings it forward, releasing the ball. I hold my breath as it slowly makes its way down the lane towards the pins. When it finally makes impact nine pins topple over, leaving one wobbling and tipping for a few heart stopping seconds until it too falls on its side.

"_Nooo!"_

_"Yeees!"_

We both yell in unison, startling everyone around us. The guys eye us curiously at first, but shrug it off again as typical happy Tori and bitter Jade. I stare daggers at Vega as she simply smiles triumphantly.

"Yay, Tori! You won! You won! _You won!_" Cat shrieks, still high on sugar.

"Alright, I need to get this one home before she goes into a sugar coma." Robbie says as he grabs Cat's wrist as though she were a child. They both wave and take off, Cat yelling an elongated 'bye' until she's out of the building.

"Hey you guys wanna come over to my place?" Andre asks. "I just set up my new Xbox and I'm planning on breaking that baby in." He adds with a smile and wink.

"Oh dude you finally got it hooked up?" Beck questions excitedly to which Andre nods and they give each other a high five, both Vega and I roll our eyes. "I'm down to-"

"_Ahem_." I bring Beck's attention back to me and send him a pointed look.

"Oh shoot, yea I forgot… Jade doesn't like video games and well, I gotta take her back. But maybe tomorrow we can-"

"I'll take Jade back." Vega suddenly blurts out. All eyes turn to her, mine wide and appalled. "I-I mean, it's just that, well, I don't like video games that much either and… I kinda live that way anyway an-and I don't, well, I just want Andre and Beck to be able to play with their box, that's all!" she finishes with her dorky nervous laugh.

"Well," Beck starts. "Jade's house _is _on the way to yours so…Would you mind if Tori gave you a ride, babe?" I really don't, I really don't at all. But he doesn't know that! What the hell is he thinking sending me off just like that with a girl, that as far as he's concerned, I hate? I give him the most venomous glare I can manage.

"No." I spit. "Not at all." He gives me a wide smile, kisses my cheek, and takes off with Andre after mumbling a quick 'see ya later'. "My loving boyfriend ladies and gentlemen…" I mutter once they're out of earshot. I then focus my attention back on Vega, who is fidgeting like crazy and is about to rip her bottom lip right off with the way she's chewing on it. "'I just want Andre and Beck to be able to play with their box'?" I repeat, smirk on my lips.

"I almost blew it didn't I?" she groans. I chuckle and start walking in the direction of the parking lot, with Vega closely behind. She points to a black Corolla once we're in the lot and we make our way towards it.

"I didn't know you finally got your license." I mention as she unlocks the door.

"Oh. Actually, uh…" she smiles nervously as she scratches the back of her head. "I don't exactly have a license yet…" she admits. I stare at her in shock.

"Then how-"

"Well, my parents went on vacation to Hawaii for the entire week, since they thought we would be at Yerba 'til this weekend so they're not home; and Trina went to spend the rest of semester break at my aunt's house so she doesn't have to feed herself at home so… since I was alone and only live five minutes away, I figured I could get away with driving over here-_please don't tell anyone_!" she cries out desperately.

"Wow… I'm impressed." I say with a smirk. "Miss goody-goody Tori Vega breaking the rules _and _the law…" I drawl. "I see I'm already affecting you in some way." She smiles sheepishly as we climb inside. "I'm so proud of you I've decided to take you out for ice cream."

"Nice try, West." She retorts. "You're taking me out for ice cream because you _lost _and I _won!" _I let out a disgusted huff and put on my seatbelt. "Wow, it feels so good to say that out loud. I beat you. I, Tori Vega, beat you, Jade West." She states proudly.

"I, Jade West, am about to beat you, Tori Vega, with this, my bare fist." I growl. She just laughs and starts the car.

We stop by an ice cream parlor that is just a couple of blocks from the bowling alley and she gets the biggest fucking banana split I've ever seen.

"Hey, we didn't specify on how big or small the ice cream had to be." She argues when I give her a look. Yet when they bring it over to the table she proceeds to hand me a spoon. "You didn't really think I was gonna eat all of this by myself now did you?" she asks with a grin. I can't help but grin back as I take the spoon.

"Well, seeing as I did pay for this, I only think it's fair that I get some."

"Nuh-uh!" she cries through a mouthful of ice cream. "Let the record show that this ice cream is _mine _because I _won _it, but I'm _choosing _to share it with you because that's what friendship is aaaall about!"

"Oh don't start with that shit again." I mumble through my own mouthful, fighting back a chuckle. She grins and shoves another spoonful into her mouth. We stay there talking and laughing until the guy behind the counter tells us the store is about to close. "Oh my God, I can't believe we ate that whole fucking thing." I say as I lean back in the chair and pat my stomach with one hand, and bring the spoon to my mouth with the other. Tori looks at me and giggles. "What's so funny?"

"It's just… You have a little-" she points to the corner of her lips. I reach for a napkin and dab at my mouth. "No the other side." I keep wiping but apparently I'm just not getting it because she lets out another giggle and reaches over herself. She runs her thumb over the corner of my bottom lip, then brings it back to her own mouth and licks it clean. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise and as soon as she realizes what she just did a deep blush takes over her face. I can't help but smile at her awkwardness.

"We should probably get going." I say, still smiling.

"Yea! Yea, of course!" She stammers as she gets up from her chair.

"Hey so I was thinking…" I begin.

"Uh-oh."

"Watch it, Vega." I snap and slap her playfully on the arm. "I was thinking that since you're home alone, and I-well, my parents could give two shits about me being home or not… maybe, I don't know, I could keep you company? You know, so that you won't be scared and stuff." I finish lamely and mentally slap myself. Out of the corner of my eye I see Tori smile.

"Well, I _do _get scared when I'm home alone…" she says. "And who better to keep me from being scared than the person who used to scare me the most?" She teases as we climb into the car.

"I don't scare you anymore?"

"Nope."

"We need to fix that."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Lame, lame, stupid, cheesy, lame, gag, kill me, lame-"

"Hey! That's my favorite movies collection!" I hear Vega yell from the kitchen as I look through the dvds on the shelf in the living room.

"Why am I not surprised?" I mutter.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!"

"Gank…"

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!"

"Well played, Vega." I move on to the next shelf only to realize the dvds on this one are worse than the last. "Jesus, Tori. Where the fuck did you guys get this shit?"

"Well, sorry for not having a section for the sick and demented on there! We tend to like movies that don't scar us for life."

"I'll have you know that my movie choices aren't always like that ok?" I shoot back.

"Just pick one already, Jade! Or I'll pick one of my all time favorites!"

"The Care Bears Gone Wild?" I drawl and I hear her scoff from behind me. "Ok, I guess this one is the best we're gonna find in this pile of mediocrity." I pull one of the dvd cases from the shelf and toss it to her. She fumbles with it at first but ultimately catches it.

"Jurassic Park? Really?"

"I like the part where they dismember the goat." I reply with a shrug. She scrunches up her face and shudders.

"Wow."

"Yea, wow is right. That part is great." I let myself drop on the couch and put my feet up on the coffee table. Suddenly I get an idea. "You know what would make this movie go from tolerable to amazing?" She sets a bowl of popcorn down on the table and raises an eyebrow at me. "Where's your parent's liquor cabinet? I'm assuming they have one right?" Her eyes widen and she begins rapidly shaking her head.

"No, Jade! We are not drinking! I don't drink! Why can't we just watch the movie without-"

"Tori." I say in a warning tone. "What did I say about illegal substances and being my friend?" She closes her eyes and groans.

"That I at least have to try it…" she repeats obediently. "I just, I don't know… I've never really drank before."

"Never? Are you fucking serious? What kind of sixteen year old are you?" I ask incredulously.

"Well, I mean, my dad did let me have some Mexican eggnog once when I was nine!"

"Oh, you wild thing…" I reply sarcastically. "Just show me where the booze is and put the movie on." She gives one last defeated groan and points me towards one of the cabinets in the kitchen. I make my way over to it as she sets up the movie. "Way to go Mr. and Mrs. Vega." I mutter as I open the cabinet to reveal a wide selection of liquor. After a few seconds of contemplation, I make Vega a vodka cranberry cocktail and a screwdriver for myself.

"You didn't put a lot of alcohol in it did you?" She questions worriedly while sniffing her drink and cringing.

"Vega, relax. I told you I just want to improve our movie watching experience by getting _a little _tipsy. You'll be fine, I promise."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Vega… Vega… Goddammit Tori! Where the fuck did you go?" I call out while standing in the middle of the empty living room. The movie still playing on the tv behind me, nearing the end. I let out an exasperated sigh as I continue sweeping the dark room with my eyes. I had gone to the bathroom for two minutes and when I came back Vega was gone. Normally, it wouldn't really concern me as she is old enough to go where she very damn well pleases but in the current state she's in, I'm actually kinda worried. Suddenly, the garage door by the kitchen bursts open and Vega tumbles in, holding a large plastic bin in her arms.

"Oh my God, J-Jade! What I look… Look I what… Look what I found!" She slurs excitedly as she stumbles over to me, losing her balance a few times and almost dropping the bin. She finally reaches the couch and lets the bin drop to the floor next to it. She then stands up straight with her hands on her hips and looks at me with a proud smile on her face.

Yes, Tori Vega is drunk. Shitface drunk I might add.

I, on the other hand, barely even have a buzz going! I really had meant what I said before about only drinking enough to feel a little tipsy and make the movie more fun. How was I supposed to know Little Miss Lightweight over here was gonna get hammered after only two drinks? I didn't even notice it was getting to her until she started cheering and throwing popcorn at the screen every time a dinosaur appeared. That's when I took her drink away. I guess I should feel guilty but… I don't. Mainly because drunk Vega is entertaining as hell. Even more so than high Vega… I wonder what other things I can get her to try?

"So…" she says wobbling a little. "What do you think?!" I look at her, down at the bin, then back at her.

"It's an impressive bin." I deadpan. She lets out a loud laugh, startling me, and swats at me roughly. "Ow." I rub my arm and she completely ignores me.

"You're so silly!" she cackles as she bends down and tears the lid off. "It's Trina's Pretend Box!" she gestures widely to the inside of the box, which is filled with wigs, costumes, jewelry, shoes, and other random girly shit. "But I'm not allowed to touch it so... _Don't. Say._ _Anything._" She whispers loudly. I smirk as I look at her wide glazy eyes.

"You are so fucking drunk."

"_Shhhhhh!" _She presses her pointer finger to her lips and looks around wildly. "My parents will hear you!"

"They're not even here!" I chuckle. She looks at me confused and then just shrugs, turning her attention back to the bin.

"So…" she says looking at me and wiggling her eyebrows. "Wanna play dress up, Jadielicious?" I stare at her in shock.

"Did you just call me Jadielicious?" She tries to cover her giggles and ends up snorting. She grabs a bright pink wig and clumsily puts it on her head. She then looks at me and smiles while batting her eyelashes and I can't help but laugh.

"Come on, Jadielicious!" She cries throwing me a nappy green wig. "It's soooo fun to pretend!" I continue watching her for a moment more while she digs around the bin, making amazed noises or giggling at the things she finds. I feel a smile pulling at my lips and think, _oh what the hell._ I put on the wig and join her by the bin.

Forty minutes and a lot of wigs later, Vega is skipping around the living room wearing a princess crown, a shitload of cheap toy jewelry and a small pink tutu over her pants, singing "Do You Believe In Magic" loudly while I watch her from the couch wearing a long blonde wig, sunglasses and a cowboy vest. She's still super drunk and I'm still super sober. But man, am I having fun…

"I wish Steven could see me now!" She says, stopping suddenly in front of a mirror to admire herself. "He'd be sooo sorry to have cheated on me!"

"Oh yes, one look at you in that tutu and crown and he'd _definitely _want you back." I chuckle.

"Right?" She cries excitedly. "I look so freaking cute!" she does a little twirl, making me smile. Suddenly her expression sours and she pouts, making me smile even more. "You know he told me once I needed to work on being _sexy?" _she whispers the last word, as if it were a naughty thing to say.

"He did not!" I exclaim.

"He did!" She says deepening the pout. "But I'll show him! I'll show them _all!" _she exclaims shaking her fist at the roof. I'm laughing loudly by now and she looks at me with a grin. "I'm sexy aren't I, Jade? I can be seductive when I want to be…" She looks at me with pleading eyes and that little fucking pout. I shake my head as my laughter dies down.

"Look, Vega. You're what I like to call, a 'sexy unaware'."

"Sexy underwear?" She asks with scrunched up eyebrows.

"Sexy _unaware!" _I exclaim laughing again. "It means you're one of those people who are just naturally sexy. You don't have to try, you just are in your own dorky way. But when you actually purposefully _attempt _to be seductive, it comes out all awkward and unrealistic, because you're going against something that's already in your nature. Make sense?" She stares at me with a completely blank expression and I know I lost her at 'unaware'.

"So you're saying he was right? That I suck at being sexy?" She whimpers.

"Oh my God… That's not what I said at all, I mean that-"

"Teach me then!" she exclaims suddenly. "Teach me the art of seduction, oh great master Jadielicious." She attempts to bow and almost falls down on her face.

"Teach you?" I cry. "You can't… I can't… how the fuck do you _teach_ that?"

"Pleaseeee? You're one of the sexiest people I know! You have to help me!" She begs with that puppy dog look she often makes. I feel myself blush at her comment before getting up from the couch with a sigh. She smiles widely and claps her hands in anticipation.

"Um… I don't know, Tori. I guess… Your problem is just that you're not assertive enough, you know? You're too unsure of yourself sometimes and that doesn't go down well when you're trying to seduce someone." She nods attentively. "Sometimes you just gotta put your foot down and take charge. Show them who's boss."

"Take charge, be the boss, got it."

"There's nothing sexier to a man than a woman who knows what she wants. So try that." I say with a shrug.

"Ok, ok. I can do that." She says while jumping in place. "Alright sit over there." I glance back to the couch where she's pointing.

"What? Why?" I stutter. "Wait, you're not planning on practicing on me are you?"

"Well, _duh!" _she says in an exasperated tone. "This course is hands on learning!"

"Course? What the hell-" She cuts me off by pushing me down on the couch. "Tori! I-I… this is stupid what are you gonna-"

"Less talking. More seducting…" She says with an awkward wink. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"Ok fine… whatever." I say with a sigh. "Give it your best shot. Make me hot for you, baby." I say sarcastically. She cheers and jumps up and down like a child. "Yea, not a good way to start things off." I deadpan and she immediately stands still.

"Ok, ok so… You just walked in to the bar, and noticed me sitting alone in the corner…" She begins.

"Are you gonna seduce me or tell me a bad joke?" I groan. She giggles and I groan again. Her smile falls and she waves a hand in front of her face taking on a serious expression. Suddenly she begins walking sultrily towards me, well, as sultry as she can while still trying to maintain her balance. She stops right in front of me and brings her pinky to her mouth, smiling coquettishly.

"Well, hi there, cowboy…" _Oh god… _"I notice you're all by yourself." She frowns exaggeratedly. "Would you care for some company?"

"No."

"Oh!" she jumps back. "Ok… see you later then." She squeaks and walks away. I facepalm myself and get up making my way to where she's standing with a worried look on her face.

"I told you to be assertive and sexy not slutty!" I cry. She just groans and looks down. "Look, let's put it this way. You want me, ok. You want me and you're not gonna give up until you get me to want you just as bad. So grow some balls and try again!" I snap and go back to the couch, sitting on the armrest where I fold my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow expectantly. She nervously looks at me for a few seconds and I'm about to get up and tell her how stupid this is and to just forget it when suddenly, she gives me the most flirtatious smile I've ever seen and begins walking confidently in my direction. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise and I open my mouth to praise her improvement when she presses a finger to my lips and leans over so her mouth is by my ear.

"No talking." She whispers sensually causing me to immediately shut my mouth. She pulls her face back and winks at me, this time more effectively. She bites down on her lower lip and I can't help but instinctively lick my own. She then grabs me by the collar of my cowboy vest and in one surprisingly coordinated motion manages to push me down to the ground and straddle me. My eyes widen and I give her a questioning look to which she simply cocks an eyebrow and replies:

"What? I thought you liked it on the ground…"

_Well hot damn… _

We continue staring at each other for a few seconds and I become very aware of my fast beating heart. Just then, her expression changes into one of discomfort and she squeezes her eyes shut.

"Jade," She whimpers. "Everything is spinning…" It takes me a few seconds to register her words as I'm still trying to regulate my breathing. I shake my head and gently push her off so I can stand.

"Alright…" I say holding out my hand for her to take. "Time for bed." Her eyes open wide and she smiles excitedly.

"You mean I did it? I seduced you?" She squeals. I feel the blood rush to my face as understanding of what she means hits me.

"Jesus, _no!" _I cry as I pull her up. "I meant that you're too fucking drunk and need to go to sleep! Fucking Christ, Vega…" I chuckle.

"Oh…" she smiles sheepishly, then frowns. "So I still wasn't any good?" I feel my blush darken even more.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that…" I mutter as I lead her upstairs to her room. She keeps a firm hold on my arm as she stumbles along to her bedroom where she falls face down onto her bed.

"I had so much fun today, Jadielicious." She whispers tiredly while closing her eyes. "I'm so… I'm so glad… we're… friends." She mumbles before she's out cold. I shake my head and smile down at her while taking off my shoes.

"Me too…" I whisper as I lay down next to her. "Me too."

* * *

**AN: So we're out of Yerba! I might make a few references to other episodes that follow Locked Up! but I'm not sure... This is pretty much just gonna follow its own little story line for now ok? **

**I hope you guys are still enjoying it! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Hey guys! I'm so glad you guys liked the last chapter! And yea, drunk Tori was really fun to write... :P **

**It's funny to me how much you guys enjoy when the characters indulge in illegal activities! Just remember kids, Drugs and Alcohol are NOT the answer! ...Unless you ask me what I'm doing this weekend! ;D **

**Nah, I'm just kidding. Or am i? O_o**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Tori**

"Mom… Mom turn off the light please." I groan into the pillow. "And please kill that bird that's yelling outside yea? Thanks."

"Well, I can't help with your first request, seeing as the light you're referring to is our sun." I hear a teasing voice, that is most definitely not my mom's, say from somewhere near me. "But perhaps I can help you with your bird issue. I just need a small stone and a rubber band."

"J-Jade?" I try lifting my head from the pillow to look over at her, only to let out a loud groan and let it drop back down when a sharp pain shoots through it. "Jade, why do I feel like someone slammed my head repeatedly with a door?" I whimper as I bring an unsteady hand up to massage my temple. "And why won't that stupid bird just _shut up_?" I cry pressing the pillow into my ears.

"You, my friend, are experiencing your first hang over." She says with a chuckle.

"Hang ov- What? I-I was drunk?" I ask as I roll myself over to look at her, squinting at the brightness in the room. She's leaning back against my desk with her arms folded across her chest, and an amused smile on her lips. "B-but I don't even drink…" I stammer.

"Clearly." She snorts. "We gotta work on your tolerance, Vega." She adds with a smirk. "We can't have you getting this shitfaced every time we wanna have some fun, now can we?" It's not until then that I notice her wet hair and clean clothes.

"Did you-when did you shower? Where'd you get those clothes? What time is it?" I blurt out trying to turn around and look at the clock on my nightstand only for the room to start spinning and the pain in my head to return, causing me to cringe.

"It's already noon. You've been out like a rock all day." She informs me as she plops down next to me on the bed. "I used your parent's car to go shower and pick up some clothes at my house and you were _still _sleeping when I came back. So, seeing as I'm bored out of my mind and you were such a _great_ source of entertainment last night," she says with a sly grin. "I tore open the curtains so you'd finally wake up and come seize the day with me." I let out a loud elongated groan and cover my face with my hands. "Oh come on, _princess._" She chuckles. "Wash up and join me downstairs. I have something that'll help you feel better." With that she jumps off the bed and disappears out the door.

I somehow manage to sit up, and as soon as the room stops spinning, I slowly make my way to the bathroom. I close the door and start heading to the shower, when my reflection in the bathroom mirror makes me freeze.

"What in the world…" I gasp as I stare at myself. My hair is a complete glitter-covered mess. I have around fifteen different plastic necklaces hanging from my neck and another twenty bracelets on each wrist. I have four clip-on earrings hanging from my left ear, while my right one bares a single one. And perhaps the strangest thing of all is the pink wrinkled tutu I have hiked up to my stomach. "Why do I look like a Hispanic version of Ke$ha?" I mutter as I begin to take off all the strange objects and step into the shower.

Thirty minutes later I'm making my way downstairs feeling relatively better. I see Jade lounging on the couch with her feet up on the table, watching some crime investigation show on tv while simultaneously working on a crossword puzzle. I drop down next to her and let out a loud sigh.

"Hey there, sunshine." she smirks. "Feeling better?"

"Kinda…" I mumble. "The shower helped." I look over and throw her a weak smile.

"Here," She puts down the crossword puzzle and marker and reaches over for a white paper bag from the table which she hands to me. "This will help." I take it hesitantly and as soon as I open it I feel like I'm gonna puke.

"Ugh, what's in there?" I cry, pushing the bag away.

"The greasiest shit they had on the menu at that fast food place down the street." She says. "I know it seems bad now but you'll feel better after you eat it, trust me." She pushes the bag towards me again.

"Mhhm!" I grunt and turn my head away like a petulant child. "I don't wanna!" She rolls her eyes and takes the bag from my hands, pulling out a large breakfast sandwich that's dripping with cheese and bacon. The sight of it both makes my stomach growl and lurch. She unwraps it fully and brings it to my mouth.

"Open." She commands. I turn away again, my lips pressed into a thin line. "Vega, open your fucking mouth." She growls. I try to get up and flee but in one quick motion she jumps and sits on my lap, preventing my escape. "Tori, just eat it. It'll make you feel better I promise." I make one last whimpering noise as I look at the nasty deliciousness in front of me, and open my mouth to take a bite. Soon the whole sandwich is gone and she moves on to the hashbrowns, popping them one by one in my mouth while still sitting on me, as she tells me about the night before.

"And then you were like, _'What? I thought you liked it on the ground?_'" She says in an exaggerated seductive tone before she bursts into laughter. I shut my eyes and groan loudly while hiding my face behind her shoulder from embarrassment. She continues laughing and shakes her head. "I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty fucking intense." She says through chuckles. I raise my face which I'm certain is bright red and let my head drop back against the headrest.

"Oh my God, Jade… I am so, so, _so _sorry. You have no idea. I-I don't even- Oh God…" I shut my eyes tight again and pinch the bridge of my nose.

"It's cool." She says as her laughter dies down. "I'm glad I was able to help you out with your seductive ineptitude." She snorts. I feel myself blush even more. "Last one. Ahh…" I open my mouth and she pops the last hashbrown in. After I chew and swallow it I open wide and stick my tongue out to show her I'm done. "Lovely." She mutters sarcastically before getting off me and walking over to the kitchen to wash her hands. When she comes back, she throws me a large water bottle. "You'll be good as new by the time you finish that." She says as she sits down next to me.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Jadielicious." I say with a grin.

"That's only cute when you're drunk." She deadpans. I frown and take a big drink from the bottle.

The food actually _did _make me feel better, but I still have a little headache and feel drowsy again. I yawn and rub my eyes lazily. "My head still hurts." I whimper with a pout. "And my eyes feel all heavy and icky."

Jade looks over at me for a second, rolls her eyes and pats down on her lap. I smile and let my head drop to it, where she begins gently massaging it as we watch tv.

"I'm only doing this because it was partly my fault that you got so drunk last night." She states. I hum in acknowledgement. It doesn't take long for the droning sounds from the tv and Jade's soothing fingers to put me right back to sleep.

The sudden chime of the doorbell startles me awake, and almost causes me to fall off the couch.

"Easy there, tiger." I hear Jade chuckle and I realize I'm still resting on her lap. I look up and see her smirking down at me. "It's just the pizza I ordered. And since you're already awake, you can make yourself useful and go get it. Thanks." She says in a bored tone and goes back to work on her crossword puzzle. I blink several times as I come out of my sleep induced daze and sit up.

"You ordered pizza? Is it from Giuseppe's?"

"Mmhmm." My stomach growls at the thought, surprising me since I still have the taste of breakfast in my mouth. "I already paid for it over the phone." Jade informs me without looking up from the puzzle. "Just give them that five dollar bill I left on the table as a tip."

"Oh! I hope they sent that cute delivery boy with the blue eyes." I whisper with a smile as I grab the bill and make my way to the door. I pat down my hair and straighten my clothes a bit before opening it, which, sure enough, reveals blue eyes and a bright smile. His eyebrows suddenly shoot up and his smile falters a bit, however, as his eyes scan my face. _Oh chiz, I bet I have 'hung-over' written all over me. _ I mentally curse myself. I give him an awkward smile as he hands me the pizza.

"Thanks!" I say with a nervous chuckle and hand him the five. He gives me an amused grin and mutters a quick thanks of his own before I hurriedly close the door.

"God, he probably thinks I'm some crazy party animal slut!" I groan.

"Oh yes, a crazy party animal that likes playing dress up and singing terribly to oldies." Jade says from the couch, eyes still glued to the paper in her hands. "He might be onto something with the whole slut thing though…" she adds. I roll my eyes and make my way to the kitchen to set up the food.

"I said I was sorry! I wasn't really trying to _seduce_ you!" I snap.

"I don't know, Vega..." She says as she gets up from the couch and follows me into the kitchen. "You seemed pretty adamant about taking me right then and there on the floor for a second." I feel a slight blush tint my cheeks as I pull some plates out from the cabinets. "I was about to pull out my rape whistle and-"

"Jade!" I cry. "It's already embarrassing enough as it is ok? There's no need to keep bringing it up." She smirks and quirks an eyebrow but doesn't say anything else. We eat in silence and I try to keep my gaze down, too embarrassed still to look at Jade.

"You know?" I say as I get up and take the plates to the sink. "I'm feeling a lot better now, but I think some fresh air would do me good. You wanna go walk around for a bit?" She looks at me and I'm certain I see her eyes sparkle.

"Sure…" She says with a sly grin. I look at her suspiciously as I put on a jacket and open the door. She grabs her own and walks out past me with the mischievous grin still on her face. I close the door and quickly follow after her. We fall into comfortable conversation as we make our way around the neighborhood, enjoying the nice afternoon breeze.

"Um, are you sure I don't look all hung-over and trashy?" I ask, looking around uneasily.

"Well you don't look hung-over…" I swat her arm. "Ow!" She cries while laughing. "You don't look trashy either! _Geez_."

"It's just- I feel like everyone is staring at me." I whisper as we walk by two women who throw me funny glances. "See?! Those ladies just gave me the stink eye!" I hiss while tugging at Jade's arm.

"You're just being paranoid, Vega." she says dismissively. "Let's go back already, it's getting chilly." We turn the corner and head back to my house and when we reach the driveway, I see Mr. Gacey, my neighbor, unloading some groceries from the trunk of his car.

"Hi, Mr. Gacey!" I call out and wave. He turns to me with a warm smile and waves back.

"Hey there Tor-" He stops suddenly and eyes me curiously. "Are you uh… are you practicing for a new play or something?" He asks. My eyebrows furrow in confusion and I shake my head.

"Um… no?" I glance over at Jade who just shrugs and then back at Mr. Gacey who lifts his eyebrows and nods slowly.

"Well then…" He says with a smile. "I've never been one to judge." He adds with a wink before disappearing into his house. I stare after him with a baffled expression. A small snickering noise from my left makes my head snap towards Jade, and I see her attempting to cover a smile with her hand. My eyes widen and I feel all the blood rush to my face.

"Jade…" I growl. She looks at me innocently but I can tell it's becoming more and more difficult for her to keep a serious face. "What… did you… _do_?"

Before she can even respond, I run past her to the house and burst into the bathroom where I gasp in horror.

"_Jade!" _I shriek while staring at my reflection in the mirror. Well, at least what I _think_ is my reflection in the mirror. Staring back at me is a disturbingly strange face; complete with a thick and hairy unibrow, large mole on the nose, comically large handlebar mustache, and a thick glasses frame surrounding my eyes. If I wasn't so incredibly mortified and wazzed off as I currently find myself I would have to admit that the quality and attention to detail is quite amazing considering it was all done with a simple black marker. But at this very moment I can't think of anything other than the fact that this is how my face has looked for the past hour. For the past hour in which I've been seen by people. By people I know. By people I'll see again_._

Just then the person responsible for such atrocity appears in back of me with a smug smile on her face.

"See? This is what I meant by sexy unaware." She says motioning to me with her hand. "All this time... _Completely _unaware of how sexy you looked." She snickers before bursting into full blown laughter. My breathing begins to come out in quick shallow bursts as I continue glaring at her reflection in the mirror. I feel all the blood in my body boiling and I swear I even feel my eye twitch. Upon seeing my expression, which I assume reflects exactly how I feel, her laughing dies down and her smile slowly fades.

"Oh shit."

And we're off.

"Tori! Tori! Chill out!" Jade coaxes as she runs around the couch, using it as a barrier between us. I try to say something intelligible, to tell her off, yell at her that she's gone too far! But the only sounds that come out of my mouth are animalistic growls and grunts. "Jesus fucking Christ, Vega!" I climb over the couch, launching myself at her. Her eyes widen and she just barely manages to jump out of the way. I stumble on the ground for a moment before getting back on my feet and charging again. "Tori! _What the fuck_? You're acting crazy!" She exclaims as she goes around the kitchen island. Her words just fuel me on.

"_You drew… on my face!_" I growl, finally creating real words. "You drew on my face and let me make a complete ass of myself! How the hell do you expect me to react?"

"It was _your _idea to go out for the walk!" She argues pointing an accusing finger at me. "I would've been satisfied with just the pizza guy but-"

"Oh my God!" I cry covering my face with my hands. "The cute pizza boy with the blue eyes saw me like this!"

"Yea, I bet now slutty party animal doesn't sound half bad huh?" She chuckles. I shoot her a deadly glare and charge again. "Oh for fuck's sake…" she mutters running a hand through her hair and groaning but not fleeing, which makes me hesitate upon reaching her. "Yea, what the hell are you planning to do to me, Vega?" She spits when she sees me momentarily falter. "Are you gonna hit me? Are you gonna pull my hair? Are you gonna bitch slap me? Scratch me with your—_ow!" _ she brings a hand up to rub her forehead, eyes wide in shock. "Did you just fucking _flick _me?" She asks disbelievingly. My eyes, equally surprised, move from the red mark on her forehead to my hovering hand just a few inches from it.

"I-I-"

"Did you seriously just fucking flick me right now?"

"Y-you-you _drew _on my face!"

"Who the hell even _flicks_ anymore?"

"I-I saw it on an episode of 'Friends' ok?! And I- well, I just thought- no I didn't really think I was just mad and in the spur of the moment I reacted and I—_ow!_" Now it's my turn to reach up and rub at my suddenly throbbing forehead. I look at Jade in surprise.

"I've seen that episode too." She answers simply.

We stare at each other for a few moments without saying anything. A smile slowly starts tugging at my lips at the realization of just how ridiculously absurd this whole thing is. Upon seeing mine, Jade's own smirk appears as well.

"I'm… I'm sorry I pretty much ruined your chances with the pizza boy." She says softly.

"Ah well, there's always the delivery boys from Happy Family…"

"The Chinese place?"

"Yea, there's two that are pretty cute there."

"Do you have a fetish or fantasy with food delivery boys or something?"

"Oh my gosh, Jade! No I was just-"

"No it's ok. I've always been more of a mailman kinda girl, you know? Like, 'Hey there miss,'" she says in a deep manly voice and pretends to tip an imaginary cap. "'I've got this here package for you… and it's big. And by package I mean my di-'"

"_Okaaay!_" I cry covering my ears and shutting my eyes tight. I hear her laugh and open my eyes again.

"So… I'm sorry ok?" She says with a small smile. "I really didn't do it just to be a bitch." She looks down at her feet then back at me. "I got kinda tired of doing that damn crossword puzzle so I looked around to find something else to do that didn't require me getting up since you were still asleep on my lap and well, your face was there and I had a marker so… you know…"

"Yea I know…" I say with a chuckle. "I'm sorry I reacted so insanely."

"Yea no shit!" She says with wide eyes. "You were all but foaming at the mouth…" I laugh and blush a little. "I had never seen you like that, Vega. It was actually… I don't know. Impressive? Kinda sexy too." She adds with a wink and I blush more. "Might wanna add that to your list of pointers from yesterday."

"I'll do that." I say with a laugh.

"Anywho, well, I really am sorry though ok? I shouldn't have let you go out like that but, God, it was just too good to miss out!" she says while laughing. "The look on people's faces… and then your neighbor!" She laughs even harder. "'I've never been one to judge.'!" She cracks up and I can't help but laugh too as I playfully swat at her arm. "Ok, ok, but really." She says while chuckling. "To make things even, I'll let you do it to me." She smiles and heads over to the couch to grab the marker. "Here." She says handing it to me and lifting her face up while closing her eyes. "Go crazy." I look at the marker and then at her face when an idea suddenly occurs to me.

"Nah… that's not enough." I say and her eyes snap open. "I've got something better in mind." I add with a mischievous grin.

**Jade**

"You've to be kidding me." I groan as I look at myself in the bathroom mirror. "You've got to be _fucking_ kidding me."

"Come on Jade!" I hear Tori call from the outside and I can hear her giggles. "Come out already!"

"Vega this is _way _worse than what I did to you!" I shout back still staring at my reflection in disgust.

"No it's not!" She cries. "At least _I'll _be the only one seeing you! Unless you wanna go walk around the neighborhood and-"

"_No!"_

"Ok then, you should actually be happy I'm nice enough to not make you do it."

"You should be happy to still be breathing after attacking me, _flicking _me and making me do this shit." I growl as I slip my feet into the heels on the floor.

"Oh stop being such a baby!" she chuckles. "And come out already! I still need to do your hair and makeup!" I mutter a variety of curses and head to the door.

"Vega, I swear to God if anyone ever finds out about this I'll-"

"Kill me and wear my skin as a bathrobe. Yea, yea, come on already!" I roll my eyes and open the door to step out into her room. I see her sitting cross legged on her bed with a big goofy smile on her still drawn on face. I walk over to the center of the room, stumbling a little in the big ass heels I'm wearing and cross my arms over my chest, giving her the deadliest glare I can manage. Completely unfazed by it she simply stares, looking me up and down with that dorky smile. She doesn't say anything for a minute and then, without warning bursts out laughing. Even going as far as rolling back on the bed while clapping her hands and kicking up her legs. I feel my face grow hot and I clench my fists by my sides.

"Oh my God!" She says between laughs. "This is just _too _good!"

"That's it!" I snap. "I'm gonna go change." I turn to head back to the bathroom but she's on me in a flash.

"No!" She yells while grabbing my wrist and turning me around. "You promised!" I roll my eyes and groan loudly.

"Goddammit, Vega." I sigh. "Ok, hurry up and get this shit done already." I huff and stomp over to her vanity mirror and sit down. She smiles and jumps up and down before skipping over and starting on my hair. Fifteen minutes and almost an entire can of hairspray later and she's done. She looks at me with a satisfied smile to which I just stick my tongue out making her laugh as she moves on to my makeup.

"Ok open up, let me see." She says when she finishes putting on the eye shadow. I open my eyes and blink a couple of times looking at her. She looks back at me in admiration. "God, Jade." She whispers in awe. "You have such beautiful eyes..." I blush slightly and tear my gaze away from hers to look at myself in the mirror. She clears her throat and turns with me, her reflection smiling as she looks back at mine. "Ok, I just need to add a few more things and we're done!" she says turning me around in the chair by the shoulders. She works on me for about ten more minutes before she claps her hands and tells me she's finished. I get up and walk over to the full length mirror on her wall to see the overall result of this nonsense.

My hair is in full 80's mode. Complete with the extreme teasing and huge volume. My makeup is bright and colorful, remaining true to the 80's style. I have three different shades of blue eye shadow around my eyes that makes the blue-green color in them stand out. My eyelashes are thick and black, making them look longer than usual. I have an insane amount of blush coloring my cheeks and bright red lipstick adorns my lips. Long pink star earrings hang from my ears jiggling with every movement, and a long matching necklace hangs from my neck. Now the outfit is truly the icing on this monstrous cake. I have a neon green mesh shirt with a hot pink leopard print tank top beneath it. My legs are covered in bright blue zebra print spandex and dark blue fishnets over them. Light green ankle warmers lead down to a hideous pair of white high heels, and of course Vega didn't think the outfit would be complete without that damn pink tutu she had worn yesterday. Add the colorful bands and bracelets on my wrists and I was ready to be cast as an extra on 'Saved by the Bell'.

"I look like a 1980's prostitute." I deadpan. Tori comes to stand behind me, with a proud smile on her face.

"I don't know, Jade." She says crossing her arms over her chest. "I think you can pull off this look." I roll my eyes but feel a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Where the fuck did you get all this shit from anyway? Do you have a time machine you haven't told me about or something?"

"Well, some of the stuff is my mom's," She says. "but as disturbing as it might sound, most of this is Trina's." She admits with a frown.

"Gross! This shit is Trina's?" I yell in disgust while tugging at the clothes. "Wearing anything that has touched her body should've been punishment enough!" Tori laughs and shakes her head as she looks me over once again. Her fake unibrow rises a little as she sweeps her eyes over my body, making my stomach do a little funny jump. I walk over to the bed and let myself fall back onto it, letting out a loud sigh while closing my eyes. A few seconds later I feel the bed dip beside me as Tori does the same thing. I open my eyes and turn, only to see her a few inches away also facing me.

"It's kinda not fair you know?" She whispers, eyes raking over my face. "You easily made me look hideous and no matter how silly I tried to make your appearance with the bad make up and clothes… you still managed to look amazing." Her eyes finally reach mine and the way she stares at me makes me feel a small flutter in my stomach again.

"Oh come on Tori." I say, my voice sounding low and unsteady. "You don't look half bad." I shift onto my side and bring my hand to her face. "This unibrow just _screams_ sexy." I mutter as I slowly run my finger over it causing her to giggle. "It's a widely known fact that hairy moles are alluring and exotic." I add as I drag my finger from her eyebrows down her nose to touch the mole I had drawn. "This awesome 'stache here brings out those damned perfect cheekbones of yours." I now delicately run the back of my finger over her cheek. "And everyone knows," I say, voice barely above a whisper as my eyes meet hers again, "Girls with glasses are fucking hot." She snickers softly but her eyes remain locked on mine. Out of the corner of my eye I notice her chest rising and dropping at a slightly quicker pace, but I don't think much of it as I'm currently completely absorbed in her gaze. I see the arm closer to me tentatively rise and make its way over to my own face. As if she wants to touch me but is hesitant to do so. I look down at her hand, now just a few inches from me and then back at her, trying to tell her with my eyes that it's ok. That it's ok to touch me. That I want her to. That for some reason I feel as though I _need _her to. Everything seems to move in slow motion as the hand makes its ascend, our gazes never breaking.

Closer.

Closer.

Fingertips brush my jaw and my eyes are about to flutter shut when-

"Toriiiiiii!" the heat on my jaw vanishes as she tears her hand away and jumps out of the bed. I bolt up into a sitting position and snap my head towards the door from where the sound of someone stomping up the stairs is heard.

"Oh crap it's Trina!" Tori hisses and looks at me all wide eyed and panicky. It hits me at that moment that: 1. I'm in their house, hanging out with her sister, who I supposedly hate. And 2. That I'm wearing her hideous clothes; which would be even harder to explain than the first. My eyes widen as I jump up, ready to run across into the bathroom when Tori hastily pushes me back down on the bed and in a flash throws the thick covers over my body leaving me in complete darkness just as the door bursts open. I immediately freeze and squeeze my eyes shut.

"Hey sistah sistah!" I hear Trina's annoyingly shrill voice say as she steps into the room. "I was calling for you downstai-" Her footsteps and talking stop suddenly and my heart just about follows suit. I hold my breath and ready myself for battle as I wait for the screaming to begin. "What-what happened to your face?" I hear her ask in confusion, and I let out the breath I was holding.

"W-what? Oh! My face! This one!" I hear Vega stutter nervously. "Yea I… I-I well, you know, I wanted to uh… t-to try something… different?" I roll my eyes and mentally facepalm myself as she laughs nervously.

"Try something different?" Trina's voice is filled with confusion. "A unibrow, mustache and mole?" she questions, her voice getting closer as she comes farther into the room.

"Yea well, I already have the glasses, so, I wanted to uh… to see how these would look… in addition." _Well, no one said her strong suit was improvising… _"So? What do you think?" She asks cheerfully. I hear Trina step even closer and I'm certain she's inspecting Tori's face.

"Hmm… Well, I like the mole." She says after a second or so. "It gives you an old movie look. I do think it would look better on me though. I have better shoulders for it." _What? _ "I'm not crazy about the brow though… it limits your expression range. And the mustache, well, that just wouldn't work beca- Oh my God." She stops her idiotic rambling and I hear her gasp. "Is this about that time when you were four and you had that… that problem?" She whispers the last part and my eyebrows furrow as I listen.

"What? What problem?" Tori asks in confusion.

"You know, when you were convinced you were a boy and would try to pee standing up like dad because you thought you had a little-"

"_No!" _Vega cries as my eyes widen and I have to bite my tongue to not laugh. "No! No! It's nothing like that you know I-" she stops and lowers her voice to a whisper and I have to strain myself to hear. "You know I went to therapy and got everything straightened out."

"Yea but maybe you relapsed and-"

"_Trina!_" I can't help but let out a small snort, and suddenly I feel someone bring a fist down where my leg is. "I didn't _relapse." _I hear Tori growl. "You can't relapse into something like that! The doctor said it happens to a lot of little kids at that age ok? But they grow out of it! And that's what I did. _I grew out of it!_"

"Ok, ok!" Trina cries and I hear her backing up. "Don't bust a nut now…" I almost lose it at that and I'm sure Tori hears my snickering because before I know it I feel someone drop down hard on my stomach. I let out a muffled 'umph' and shut my eyes tight as I try catch my breath.

"So why are you here?" Tori demands and from the sound of her voice over me I can tell she's sitting on me. "I thought you were staying with Aunt Betty until Sunday."

"Oh I am! They're actually taking me to a fancy party one of Uncle Richard's rich friends is throwing tomorrow. That's why I came, I needed to get some clothes for the occasion." She says and I hear footsteps heading to where Vega's closet is. "You don't mind do you?"

"Would it make a difference if I did?" I hear Tori ask in a flat tone.

"Not really." I hear hangers shifting and moving as Trina searches through the clothes. "Hey, do you have mom's pink earrings? I wanna wear them tomorrow." My eyes widen as I remember the earrings I'm currently wearing are pink… Surely she's referring to another-

"The-the star ones?" Tori stammers.

"Does she have any other ones?" Trina answers, voice slightly muffled by the fact that her back is turned to us as she continues rifling through the closet. "Oh and the necklace too."

_Shit. _

I consider taking them off quickly while her back is turned, but just as I'm about to raise my head and arms underneath the covers I feel a hand push my chest back down and then Trina's voice is right next to me again.

"This one looks cute right?" From her words and proximity, I figure she's standing in front of the mirror that's by the bed.

_Fuck._

She continues going back and forth between the closet and mirror for a couple of minutes as the weight on me increases with her discarded dresses. I let out a small sigh as I try to think of another solution. Somehow I doubt we can get Trina out of the room as she is completely focused on finding something to wear, so we have to do it with her still here.

Suddenly I feel a hand carefully sliding underneath the covers feeling for my arm and then move up to where my neck is.

_Oh no she isn't. _

She cautiously feels around for the necklace, thumbing down the chain once she finds it and spinning it to locate the clasp.

_Oh yes she is._

With Trina walking back and forth in front of the bed, I can do nothing but lay there motionless while Vega sits on me and continues attempting to remove jewelry without being discovered. When she finally manages to unclasp the necklace, she retrieves it quickly and I let out a relieved breath, only for it to hitch as soon as I feel her soft fingers on my neck again, this time going up my jaw, and slightly brushing my parted lips as they slowly make their way up to my ear. She gently runs her finger over the shell of it until she reaches the earring, pulling it out. She drags her hand across my jaw to do the same to the other ear making me shiver and stifle a giggle as her fingers brush over a ticklish part of my neck. She tenses up a little when she feels my body tremble beneath her but soon resumes what she was doing and pulls out the other earring. I feel a sudden weight lifted off me when she gets up and heads on over to Trina.

"Here." She says.

"Oh yay!" I hear Trina clap and walk over to the bed where she begins looking through the pile she had previously discarded and is currently on top of me. I gulp as I feel her hands moving through the various garments until she picks one up.

"This one will do." She says and begins to walk away.

"What? That was the first one you had taken out!" Tori cries.

"I wanted to give your other clothes a chance to prove me wrong. But like everyone else, they failed." She says and I have to resist the urge to yell at her. "Alright, gotta run! Aunt Betty and Uncle Richard are waiting for me downstairs."

"You mean you actually made them wait while you were up here taking you sweet ti- oh you know what? Never mind! See you later!" I hear Tori exclaim as she slams the door shut, leaving Trina muttering something about her not having to be so rude. It's not until we hear the front door close and Tori sees a car exit the driveway that I tear the cover off me, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

I look over at Tori who is slumped by her desk with a relieved expression on her face.

"Holy chiz that was close…" She mutters. I grunt in agreement. "You ok?"

"Well other than getting the wind knocked out of me by _someone_ sitting on my stomach, almost suffocating from lack of oxygen underneath there, and being completely manhandled by your filthy hands… I'm ok." I say with a smirk. She blushes but returns my smile. "Now that that's out of the way, you have _got _to tell me all about your identity crisis days when you were four and you thought you had a peepee."

"Ohhh... I _knew _you were gonna tease me about that!" She whines. "It was a long time ago ok? And like I said, it's quite common among children!" I laugh at the deep blush that takes over her face as she looks away.

"God, we look so ridiculous." I say as I see my reflection next to hers in the mirror. She chuckles and nods her head. "Wanna take some pictures and then delete them and never speak of this again?" I say with a grin. Her eyes widen and her smile grows.

We spent the next hour taking ridiculous pictures of ourselves in different positions and poses, and then laughing until our eyes are filled with tears looking through them afterwards.

We each then took a much needed shower and once we're back to looking and feeling like our regular selves, we settle to end the night by watching a movie.

"But this time there'll be _no _drinking and _I _get to pick the movie." Vega demands from the kitchen as she waits by the microwave for the popcorn to be done.

"Boo! You're no fun!" I whine as I plop down on the couch.

"You just wanna have fun at my expense." She shoots back.

"It _is _the best kind of fun I know…" She walks by and playfully smacks the back of my head. "Hey!" I cry rubbing the spot. "I've been letting you get away with a disgusting amount of things lately, Vega. You better pray my nice streak continues…"

"I told you I'm not afraid of you anymore, _West_." She says confidently as she sits down on the couch by me and plops her feet up on my lap, raising an eyebrow and smiling smugly before she pops a popcorn into her mouth. I glare at her with as much venom as I can muster, but she simply smiles and throws a piece of popcorn at me.

"That's it!" I growl, grabbing her feet and pulling her so that she's flat on the couch and I can climb on top of her. She squeals in surprise but starts laughing as soon as I attack her sides with my fingers, tickling her mercilessly.

"Jade!" She pants out between laughing fits. "Jade, st-stop! Stop please!" But I don't, I keep tickling her and she keeps trying to shove me away with little success.

"Not until you say it!" I grunt. "Not until you say I'm still tough and scary!" She continues squirming and laughing, skin flushed and eyes glistening with tears from laughing.

"O-ok! Ok! I'll say it! I'll say it!" she cries desperately. I stop my fingers and rest my hands on her hips as I wait for her to catch her breath.

"You _are_ scary, Jade." She says, her voice still light and airy from laughing. I smirk and lift my hands up in victory when she suddenly pushes me off and jumps off the couch. "Scary _looking!" _she yells and takes off running, laughing like a lunatic while I lay on the floor, stunned. I shake my head as I snap out of my shock and run after her, yelling empty threats and warnings. I finally get her pinned against the kitchen counter when her phone suddenly rings and in one smooth move she reaches over and answers it, knowing I'll have to back off to not be heard. I narrow my eyes and glare at her, mouthing the word 'cheater' as I step back and she simply smiles and sticks her tongue out at me.

"Hello?" she says breathlessly. Her smile falls and her eyes widen as she turns back to me. "Oh, hey Beck…" I feel all the blood drain from my face as I look back at her. "Jade? No I haven't seen her since yesterday when I gave her a ride." She says asking me with her eyes what she should say. "Oh she hasn't answered your calls or messages?" _Oh shit. _I make my way to the living room where I have my purse and fish out my phone. Sure enough there's about four missed calls and several new messages from Beck and one from my mom. I hadn't even checked it since this morning. "Well if I hear anything I'll let you know, ok? Alright, see you later, bye." I hear her hang up and put her phone back down on the counter. "He uh… he said he went to your house and you weren't there, and that your parents didn't even know where you were so he got worried." She says softly.

"Fuck." I mumble. "Yea, I totally forgot to text him."

"What about your parents?" she asks. "Aren't they gonna be worried?"

"I only have one text from my mom and she probably just sent it 'cause Beck was there." I scoff. I turn to her and see her looking back with a worried frown. "I should still probably go home though…"

"No..." She moans and then blushes when she catches herself. "I mean, I understand if you _have _to, but… I just don't want you to go yet." She adds quietly, looking down at her feet. I feel that damn little flutter in my stomach as a small smile tugs at my lips.

"Fuck it." I say and her face snaps up to look at mine. "It's already late anyway, they can wait 'til tomorrow." I say with a grin. Her eyes light up and her smile slowly returns. "Now," I say as I walk casually back to the kitchen. "if I'm not mistaken, I believe you were about to admit defeat and surrender?" Her smile returns fully as she begins walking backwards around the counter.

"Never!" she yells before she takes off again. I grin and chase after her, not worrying over Beck, or whether or not I should go home.

For I realize at that moment, that there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

* * *

**AN: Hope you guys liked it! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Hola! How goes it?! **

**Alright so here's the next chapter! Hope you guys keep enjoying the story! :)**

* * *

**Tori**

"So then Rex _promised _me he would help me paint my parents room. And then on the day we're supposed to do it, he tells me he has an appointment to get his teeth whitened and can't cancel!" Robbie exclaims.

"One time, my brother whitened his teeth but had to be rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped due to all the chlorine he consumed."

"Cat! I'm trying to tell you about my problem with Rex so you guys can tell me how to fix it!" Robbie cries and then turns to me. "What do you think I should do, Toro?"

"First of all," I say. "Stop calling me 'Toro'. And secondly, you need to have a serious talk with Rex and tell him that his lack of commitment really upsets you and is putting a strain on your friendsh-"

"You need to stop playing with dolls, get yourself a girlfriend -or hooker for that matter- and get fucking laid." Jade nonchalantly says before taking a bite out of her sandwich. Robbie gasps and Cat covers her ears with a terrified expression on her face. I have to fight back a laugh by covering my mouth and pretending to cough. Jade notices however and gives me a sly look. Just then Beck and Andre join us with their lunches in hand.

"What up my peeps?" Andre calls. "How crazy is it that exactly one week ago we were all prisoners in a foreign country huh?"

"It's already been a whole week?" I ask as I take a sip from my soda.

"Yep. A week ago today, Robbie killed the Chancellor's octopus and got us thrown in Yerbanian prison." Beck adds to which Robbie frowns and looks down at his food.

It's Monday and our first day back at school from semester break. It seems odd to be back to our regular lives after the crazy week we've had. I look up at Jade and see her looking back at me with a small grin.

I still can't believe it. That we're friends. The fact that we are makes everything seem even crazier. But it's true. Even if she and I are the only ones that know it. I grin back at her and turn my attention to my salad as I think back on the past few days since we returned. Jade hadn't left my house until Saturday evening, when she decided she couldn't put off seeing Beck and going home anymore. I reluctantly agreed and spent the rest of the day in my room watching Jurassic Park and looking through the silly pictures we had taken that I just couldn't bring myself to erase. Since Trina had come back Sunday and Jade's parents insisted she stay home, we couldn't hang out either so we texted and talked on the phone all throughout the day.

It amazed me, the fact that in just a few days Jade had become such an important person in my life. Someone whose company I'd grown to love and longed for when I didn't have it.

The bell rings signaling the end of the lunch period and we all make our way to Sikowitz's class. I take a seat in my usual spot when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I take it out to see it's a new text message from Jade.

**-Sorry about your hair.**

I scrunch up my face in confusion and am about to text and ask her what she's talking about when I feel something slam into the back of my head in an explosion of water. There are multiple gasps from people around the room while I simply sit there frozen, mouth agape in shock as I feel the water drip down my shoulders from my soaked hair. Sikowitz, who was just climbing in through the window when it happened looks at me and then turns his stare to the back of the room.

"Jade…" he drawls.

"I needed to test the water balloon launcher we're using in the play next week and Vega's head got in the way." She explains flatly.

"Jade, what do we say when we-"

"Ugh.. I know, I know." she groans. "'I must take responsibility for the harm I inflict upon others, and I must refrain from being such a gank.'" She recites mechanically. "I know the drill. I'll take her to the bathroom to help her get cleaned up and "_apologize_" for my uncontrollable impulses." She walks over, grabs my wrist, and all but drags me out of the room and towards the nearest bathroom where she opens the door and shoves me inside. I spin around to face her but before I can open my mouth and question what the heck is going on, she walks up to me grabs me by the arms and pulls me into a hug. While completely in shock, my arms instinctively wrap around her waist as I melt into the embrace.

"It is disgusting, ridiculous and _completely _unacceptable how much I've wanted to do this all day." She mutters grumpily into my neck.

I'm too stunned to say anything so I just hug her back and feel myself relax as I breathe in her perfume. A scent I've become all too familiar with these past few days. "You're gonna be the end of me, Vega." She mumbles as she pulls back.

"You threw a water balloon at my head just to hug me?" I ask with a small grin on my face.

"I know!" she groans as she lets go of me and runs a hand through her hair. "Why didn't you tell me that friendship turns people into such sappy and needy little bitches?"

"As extremely touched as I am," I tell her as I reach over and pull a couple of paper napkins from the dispenser. "Next time you wanna get your hands on me, could you please use a more subtle excuse?" She scoffs and rolls her eyes at me.

"I did _not _wanna 'get my hands' on you ok?" she snaps. "I simply happened to kinda miss… ugh- fuck you Tori! Just be glad I didn't use iced coffee!" I glare at her and throw her one of the paper towels I'm using on my hair. She laughs and leans back on the door, watching me as I continue drying my hair. "The balloon launcher just happened to be the first thing I saw when I came into the room." She explains.

"Oh well thank God Sikowitz keeps the sword and knife props locked in the cabinet." I mutter.

"That woulda been fun…" she teases before another paper towel hits her face.

"If it makes you feel any better," I begin patting off the parts of my shirt that got wet. "I miss you too." I tell her with a sheepish grin.

"God we're pathetic." She says with a smile. "Let's head back before they think I killed you and send a search party." She turns around and is about to open the door when I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her stomach, pulling her into me as I place my chin on her shoulder.

"One for the road?" I whisper.

"Disgusting, ridiculous, and _completely_ unacceptable." She says, but leans back into me and places her hands over my own. I giggle and squeeze her one more time before we part and head back to class.

The next two weeks go by in a very similar way. It almost feels as though I'm leading a double life. Where to most I'm simply good girl Tori Vega who attends Hollywood Arts and is well liked by everyone, well everyone but Jade West that is, who goes out of her way daily to make sure everyone knows it. But in reality, the same Jade West is actually quite fond of good girl Tori Vega, and will go out of her way daily to make sure she knows it.

At school we automatically slip into our roles to keep everyone at bay, most of the school day going by with us barely even saying a word to each other. But there are the rare occasions when we'll find ways to sneak away and spend time together unbeknownst to anyone. Through secret meetings in the janitor's closet, the bathroom, and even on the roof. The roof is my favorite; It's closed off to students so there's almost no chance of anyone catching us. Jade told me that she'd been coming up here for a while now ever since she had stolen the key from the janitor when she caught him sleeping in the closet. It was private and had an awesome view of Downtown L.A. Sometimes we'd go up there as soon as school was out and stay there for a couple of hours, lying to our friends and families about our whereabouts. You would think it'd bother me to be deceiving pretty much everyone I cared about, but it really didn't. Not when the reason I was doing it was to spend time with Jade.

Sometimes I wondered if it'd be easier to just tell everyone about us and how we were friends now, but I felt that if it stopped being a secret it wouldn't be as special anymore. As though by everyone knowing she would just become one more of the group and I'd have to treat her like I treat Andre, or Cat, or _Robbie! _No, I couldn't do that. Jade wasn't like them, and they just wouldn't understand.

We had grown impossibly closer in the last two weeks. We'd talk about everything, and sometimes about nothing at all. There were days when just being in each other's presence was enough. We'd sit on the roof and read, or do homework, or simply watch the city life below us.

Today was like one of those days. It was Friday so almost everyone, including the faculty had already left. We were in our usual spot on the roof with an ice cream cone each and Jade's PearPod playing in the background. We had been watching a building construction crew across the street for the past hour, making up stories about each of the worker's lives and laughing at the silly things we'd come up with.

"That little one with the saggy pants used to be morbidly obese a few months ago, but lost the weight by using Weight Watchers." Jade says pointing to a short man stacking bricks onto a wheelbarrow, wearing pants four sizes too big for him. I giggle as I lick my ice cream cone. "He became their official spokesman but was fired after having an affair with Jenny Craig, so now he works construction and has to wear his old fat clothes because all his money goes to Jenny for child support."

"Oh so he knocked her up?" I say between chuckles.

"That's what she got him to think..." She says. "What he doesn't know however, is that he's sterile, and the baby actually belongs to that Jared guy from Subway."

"All these weight loss people sure like to get around, don't they?" I laugh.

"They know of the more _fun _ways to burn calories, if you know what I mean…" she says wiggling her eyebrows behind her sunglasses. I almost choke on the ice cream, and she almost chokes on hers for laughing at me.

"Hey, before I forget." I say once I finish my cone. "Tomorrow is our third week friendniversary, and I got you a little something."

"Our third week _what_?" She asks while I rifle through my backpack.

"Our third week friendniversary!" She looks at me blankly. "You know? A friendship anniversary! Three weeks ago we-"

"I get it, I just can't believe you actually call it that." She deadpans. "But I didn't get you anything, so now you're just trying to make me feel bad."

"No, don't! It's just something silly, no biggie. I just didn't know if I'd get to see you tomorrow so I wanted to give it to you today." I say as I pull out a small black box and hand it to her. She takes it and opens it carefully. "I-I know you said we wouldn't do it, and I'm not asking you to wear it or anything, I just… I just want you to have it, you know? It'll just be between us, so that we both know that we -oh God it's stupid isn't it? Here just forget it, I'll take it ba-" I reach over for the box but she pulls it out of my reach. Once she knows I won't try to take it again, she sets it down on her knee and takes out two thin thread bracelets; they're identical except for the color, one of them being black and the other white. She takes the white one and reaches over for my hand, setting it down on her thigh where she proceeds to tie the bracelet around my wrist. She then takes the black one and loops it several times around her left pointer finger, creating a black thread ring. She brings it up to me so I can tie off the ends of the thread and keep it in place.

"I love it." Is all she says, and I feel a lightness in my chest from both relief and happiness. We sit there in silence for a few more minutes, and I notice her constantly running her thumb over the material of the bracelet on her finger, making me smile.

"Tomorrow night, tell your parents you're sleeping over at Cat's or something and be at my house at eight." She says while turning to look at me. "We're going out to celebrate our third week friendniversary the right way." She adds with a smirk.

"But, what about your parents? Won't they be home?"

"This morning before I left to school I saw an envelope with four hundred dollars in cash on the counter. They only do that when they're leaving for more than a few days to make sure I don't starve to death or something. So they shouldn't be a problem." I frown. She's told me all about her parents, but I still can't believe people would actually treat their own children like that.

"Ok." I say finally, a smile forming on my lips. "What're we gonna do?"

"It's a surprise…" She answers throwing me a mischievous grin.

"Should I be worried?"

"Will it make a difference if I say no?"

"No."

"Well then."

_Gulp._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Jade, please tell me where we're going!" I cry from the passenger seat where I'm currently seating with a blindfold over my eyes.

"No."

"_Why_?"

"Because."

"…That's not a valid answer!"

"You'll find out soon enough, now shut up already! We're almost there." I huff and fold my arms over my chest but don't say anything else.

As soon as I had gotten to Jade's house, she had taken me to her room and made me try on several outfits from her own clothes, saying mine were too Disney Channel. I kept asking where we were going that required me to be specially dressed but she would just ignore me and have me try on something else until she settled on the outfit she liked, which consisted of tight black jeans with a red skintight shirt that made my boobs look way bigger than they actually were. She then gave me a black leather vest that tied under my bosom, adding to the augmented effect. She finished off the outfit by giving me some high heeled black boots that reached just below my knee. Add some makeup, hair and complimenting jewelry and I had to admit I looked pretty darn good. Once she was satisfied with my appearance, she went to change so we could go. She emerged in equally tight jeans and a black blouse that hung just below her shoulders, with her hair cascading around her face, contrasting beautifully with her pale skin. She went over to her closet and pulled out a pair of black high heels and slipped them on. She then headed past me to the door after grabbing a coat and gently pushed my jaw up, which had apparently dropped open. I blushed and quickly followed her to the car, where she had blindfolded me just before taking off.

"Ok, we're here, you can take your blindfold off now." She says as she unbuckles her seatbelt. I immediately rip the blindfold off and look around. We're in front of a large brick building, whose entrance is guarded by two giant looking men in suits. And even with the car door closed I can feel the loud thumping of the drum and bass from the music inside.

"Is this… Is this a _club_?" I stammer as a man outside opens my door and offers me his hand to climb out of the car.

"Sure is." Jade says coming around the car and handing the keys to the young man who in return gives her a piece of paper which she stuffs in her back pocket.

"We-we can't be here!" I hiss grabbing her arm. "We're not even _eighteen_!"

"See why I didn't tell you? I knew you would get all freaked out and I would've just ended up throwing you out of the car." She sighs and pulls out a card from her back pocket and hands it to me. "Happy three week…uh, whatever-that-stupid-word-you-said-was." I take the card and see it's an I.D. with my picture on it, and according to it, my name is Sally Peetches and I'm twenty-two years old.

"You-you got me a fake I.D.?!" I cry.

"Pipe the fuck down, _Sally_ dear." Jade growls through gritted teeth as she glances at the bouncers to make sure they didn't hear me. "We're going in now. _Don't_ fuck it up." She grabs my wrist and pulls me to the entrance where she hands one of the men our I.D.'s. He looks at them and then at us. I throw him an awkward smile while my heart beats so hard and loud that I'm afraid he'll be able to hear it and know we're lying. But to my surprise he hands Jade our I.D.'s back and lets us through. Jade grabs my wrist again and drags me inside, where house music is blasting so loud I feel it vibrate through my entire body. She pulls me through the throng of people who are dancing and jumping and touching until we finally reach a bar where she orders two drinks and two shots. She turns to me and hands me one of the drinks.

"Drink it slow." She yells in my ear so I'll be able to hear her over the loud music. "You need to pace yourself so we won't have a repeat of last time." She smirks. She then lifts one of the shot glasses, clinks it to my glass and drinks it in one gulp. She puts the small empty glass back on the bar grabs the other shot downing it as well. I stare at her with wide eyes and she simply winks at me and grabs her other drink. "Come on." She yells and begins walking towards the dance floor. I follow her while clasping my glass tightly in both hands. Once we're completely surrounded by dancing bodies she turns to me and grins. I give her a nervous smile and she rolls her eyes as she once again brings her face to my ear.

"Relax, Vega. Nothing's gonna happen. You're with me. I'll take care of you." She leans away and throws me a warm reassuring smile. I smile back, this time more genuinely and take a sip from my drink. Her smile widens and she begins dancing, pulling me closer with her free hand so that I'll dance too. I laugh and take another drink as I begin moving to the music.

Thirty minutes later, I'm done with my drink and Jade just finished her third one. I'm feeling happy and light at this point, and I can tell Jade is definitely in a happy place right now, because she's being more carefree and affectionate than usual. She takes my hand and spins me, laughing at the way my hair covers my face. She spins me back and pulls my hands up with hers as she continues dancing. Her eyes look past me and a smile forms on her lips while she motions with her head for me to look back. As discreetly as I can, I turn around to see what she's smiling about. About five feet in back of us I see a tall thin man with a long ponytail dancing, if it can even be called that, with a very uncomfortable looking woman. His arms are flailing about and it looks more like he's having a seizure than moving to the music, the woman tries several times to dance away only for him to follow her and continue jerking about. I turn back to Jade and we both burst into laughter.

As the minutes go by the dance floor becomes more and more crowded, to the point where we're constantly bumping and brushing into the people around us. Suddenly, some girl dancing almost as crazily as ponytail man slams into me and sends me flying forward towards Jade, who catches me before I end up sprawled on the floor. I see her send a deadly glare to the girl who doesn't even notice before looking back at me with worried eyes. I smile to let her know I'm ok and I try to go back to dancing only to get bumped into again, sending me once more crashing into Jade. I hear her laughter through the loud music as she grabs me by the waist and pulls me in close, pressing my body to hers as she begins swaying our hips to the beat of the song. I giggle and follow her lead. We continue dancing like that for a while, as we slowly lose ourselves in the music and each other.

I feel her hands slide up my arms sending a shiver through my entire body. She then drags them onto my back where she uses them to pull me even closer, burying her head in the curve of my neck. My eyes flutter shut as I instinctively tilt my head to the side to better accommodate hers. My own hands find her hips as we continue swaying to the beat. I feel an intense fluttering in my stomach and pray it's not the alcohol having a bad effect on me because the last thing I want right now is to blow chunks. I press my face into Jade's hair, finding comfort in the scent and without thinking much of it, bring one of my hands up from her hips to tangle in her locks, pressing her further into me as I inhale her in. I feel her release a broken breath onto my neck and gasp when I feel warm lips press against my collarbone. I squeeze my eyes shut as the fluttering in my stomach intensifies.

Jade's lips remain unmoving, simply pressed up against my skin, as I hold her against me and continue dancing. Her hands slowly travel up my back, constantly pressing me into her, as though she wants to fuse our bodies together. My grasp on her hair tightens at the feel of her body moving against mine and my breathing quickens. Suddenly, her previously idle lips part slightly and she presses a soft kiss against my neck. A huge ball of heat erupts in my stomach, shooting up through my chest and out of my mouth in the form of a moan that shakes me to my very core.

My eyes snap open and I freeze, heart beating louder and harder than the bass that reverberates around us. Jade is also still, her breathing rapid against my chest and neck, though her lips are no longer touching me. Her hands slowly loosen their grip on me as she begins to pull away; my own fingers slipping out of her hair and sliding off her hips. Her mouth stops right by my ear for her to tell me she has to go to the bathroom and then she's gone.

I see only the back of her head as she walks away, leaving me alone in the middle of the crowd, frozen and completely confused.

_Did I just- _

_Did she just- _

_Did we just-_

I realize I must look like an idiot just standing there with a petrified look on my face so I manage to get my feet working again and head to where the bathrooms are. There's a long line of girls and Jade is nowhere in sight so I figure she must already be inside. I walk over to a secluded section in front of the bathroom where I lean back against a wall and let out a sigh while closing my eyes. Suddenly the strong stench of alcohol fills my nose. I open my eyes and am faced with a very drunk looking man right in front of me. He's a good looking guy, maybe in his early twenties and is definitely dressed to impress.

"Hey there little lady…" He slurs. "Why you all by your lonesome over here?"

"I uh… I'm waiting for my friend." I say giving him a nervous smile as I point to the bathroom.

"I can be your friend." He says pressing his hands into the wall on either side of my face, caging me in.

"No thanks." I stammer as I try to duck out and away from him, but he grabs me by the arm and spins me around before I can get too far.

"Hey now, didn't they ever tell you it's rude to deny someone their friendship?" He pulls me back into him and I feel panic rise in my throat. "I just wanna talk, that's all." But his lips brushing against my ear tells me talking is the last thing on his mind.

"Let go of me." I demand, my voice remaining surprisingly steady considering my knees feel like they're about to give out at any second.

"You know, most girls would be happy to be getting my attention." He hisses in my ear. "So stop being a little bitch and playing hard to get-"

"Hey!" I hear and relief instantly floods my body as I recognize the voice. The guy spins around and before he can even say anything a beer bottle is crashing down on his head. He crumbles to the ground groaning in pain and I look up, eyes wide in shock as I see Jade holding the remaining neck of the bottle in her hand, a sly smile on her face.

"I've always wanted to do that." She says before her eyes rise from the moaning man to meet mine. "Are you ok?" All I can do is nod, she smiles again.

"What's going on here?" We both turn to see a man wearing an apron and holding a tray of dirty glasses and bottles standing by a doorway. He looks at us and then down at the injured man then back at us. "What the hell happened-" Jade grabs my arm and pulls me away before he can say anything else. We run as fast as we can through the crowd but right before we reach the exit, we see that one of the guards is talking into his walkie-talkie as he sweeps his eyes through the crowd, stopping when he lands on us.

"Fuck." Jade quickly looks around and then pulls me in another direction until we get to a door that leads to a large supply room. "There!" She yells and points to the back of the room where there is another door with a sign that reads "LOADING DOCK". Once we reach it, she unlocks it and we burst out into a dark, but otherwise deserted, alley. The door shuts behind us as we run towards the street at the end of the alley where we can see cars driving by.

The heel on my right boot suddenly breaks off, sending me sprawling to the side until my back hits the brick wall; given Jade's tight grip on my arm, her body is inevitably pulled with mine and she ends up slamming into me at full force.

"Whoa!" She cries as she stops from crashing her head into mine by putting up her hands against the wall. "Is everything still spinning or is it just me?" She asks as she squeezes her eyes shut.

"I think it's just you." I say slightly out of breath with a smile on my face. Slowly she opens her eyes and our gazes meet. We burst into giggles as she rests her forehead on mine. "It appears as though we can't do much these days without getting into some sort of trouble with the law, doesn't it?"

"What can I say?" She whispers as her eyes lock on mine. "You're a terrible influence on me, Vega."

My stomach is once again sent into the frenzied fluttering from before as her green eyes pierce mine, our breath forming little clouds of steam in the chilly night air. She studies me intently, as though she's trying to figure something out, trying to figure _me _out, trying to find the answer to a question that she just can't seem to understand. And I wish I could tell her to please let me know if she does, because I feel just as lost and confused.

My eyes rake over her face, taking her in, as a flash of the past few weeks rushes my mind.

I see her smiling, laughing, crying, smirking, frowning, sleeping, eating, watching, breathing, talking–

It's all her. All I can see is her. Every other thought in my mind vanishes and it's just her.

Jade.

Jade, Jade, Jade, Jade, _Jade._

Jade who's right in front of me. Green eyes sparkling in the moonlight as she breathes my air. As I breathe her air. As we breathe each other.

And suddenly, everything stops.

My breathing, my heart, my thoughts.

Everything halts as her face moves forward.

Vodka mixed with Jade creating a scent I could easily, and willingly, get drunk in. One that I'm already surrendering to, as my eyes flutter shut, along with my brain and my reason.

The sound of a door bursting open and someone yelling seems distant. Like it's just something taking place somewhere else and echoing into our reality, but not really a part of our world. No, in this world it's only me and Jade. Right here, in this moment.

But then I'm brutally ripped away from it and forced back into the alternate reality where Jade and I are once again running.

The faint sound of footsteps gets louder and louder as I snap out of my haze and realize we're running through a strange street and no one is following us anymore.

"Jade!" I call out breathlessly to the girl pulling me by the wrist. "Jade stop! They're gone! We got away!" She finally slows down and lets go of my arm, remaining with her back turned to me as she runs a hand through her hair. Her shoulders rising and dropping rapidly with her breathing. I want to say something, but I can't think of anything, the last few minutes still a confusing blur in my mind. "Jade?" I finally say, taking a few tentative steps towards her. I lift my arm to place on her shoulder, but no sooner does my hand touch her that she spins around and begins walking back towards the club.

"We gotta go get the car." She mutters as she walks past me.

"Wh-what?" I stammer, as I awkwardly follow her trying to keep most of my weight on the good heel. "What if they see us? What if they're waiting for us to go-"

"Well I can't really leave my car there now can I?" She snaps in a venomous tone that makes me stop dead in my tracks. She stops as well when she notices I'm no longer following behind, still not turning to look at me. She lets out a sigh and presses her hands to her temples. "I-I can't just leave the car there or it'll get towed and we'll be in even more trouble." She says in a more calm tone. "The valet parking is separate from the club so we should be ok." She begins walking forward again and after a few seconds I begin to follow, making sure to remain a few steps behind at all times.

We reach the valet parking and thankfully there's no one outside looking for us so we're able to get the car without any problems.

"I'm still pretty drunk, and this whole other deal gave me a killer head ache." Jade says still not meeting my gaze. "You ok to drive?" I nod my head but then realize she can't really see me while purposefully avoiding my face.

"Yea I'm ok." I mumble softly. She nods and hands me the keys before going around to the passenger's seat, where she punches something into her phone and then hands it to me.

"I put my address in; the GPS will tell you how to get to my house." She informs me before turning towards the window and closing her eyes. I look at her slumped form for a moment before buckling myself in and starting the car.

She remains like that for the entire drive, and I wonder if she really is asleep or simply pretending to. I let out a soft sigh as I focus back on the road.

_Is she really just gonna ignore this and pretend it never happened? _I ask myself, feeling a twinge of anger bubble up within me. My eyebrows furrow as I bite my lower lip.

But, what _did _happen? Do _I_ even know?

I look over at her again, chest steadily rising and falling with her breathing, long black hair fanned out across her bare shoulders, lips slightly parted as she –

I shut my eyes tight and turn away from her, trying to focus on the road again.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ I mentally curse at myself. _I'm acting as if I – _

_No._

_No. _

_No, no, no, NO._

_But what if I –_

_NO._

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and flex my jaw, as my breathing begins coming out in slow deep bursts.

_That's _not even an option. Because, 1. I'm not gay; 2. It's _Jade, _my friend, who is also a _girl. _Which brings me back to number one, making the cycle repeat itself.

_Ok Tori, _I tell myself,_ calm down, let's just look at the facts shall we? You and Jade just recently started getting along after years of barely even considering each other acquaintances, not only that but you've gotten extremely close over the past few weeks by spending a lot of time together, and in constant communication. And there's nothing wrong with that, because you're friends now, and you enjoy spending time with each other. A _healthy_ amount of time. 'Cause you're friends. And that's what friends do._

_Friends don't grope each other or almost make out in dark alleys…_

_Oh great, my lovely voice of reason is back…_

_I'm just saying, I've never seen you get down like that with Andre or, I guess Cat would be a better example in this –_

_Ok! I know, I know… but, we've already settled before how Jade is different than them. _

_Different how?_

_Well, I don't know… She just is. We click differently; better. In a way that I've never clicked with anyone else. And yea I know she's very pretty, beautiful even. And sexy… And has the most fascinating green eyes I've ever –_

_Your point?_

_Right, right. Well, that and everything else put together probably just confused me. I remember hearing on the radio about hero worship, and how some people develop that for close friends whom they really care for, often causing them to confuse simple platonic feelings for... well, stronger ones._

_And the fact that this friend who you've confused feelings for just so happens to be a _girl_ is ok?_

_Well, you know how it is when you mix alcohol and hormones and teenagers… I mean, weave all seen the movies, and Lifetime after school specials. I guess I simply experienced a little of the infamous "confusion" phase and since Jade is my closest girl friend, I just happened to direct it towards her? But I mean, that's all it was, a small confusing moment. I'm not gay. _

_Are you trying to convince me or yourself?_

_…We're the same person! _

_Ugh, you know what I mean… what about the fact that she was also responding? Initiating some of the advances, in fact. What do you make of that? Blame it on the alcohol too? On the hero worship theory?_

_I… I don't know. She _is _way drunker than I am. She was probably just too drunk and got carried away in the spur of the moment… that's why she's acting so weird now, 'cause she probably doesn't want me getting any ideas. So I'm not. _

_You seem to already be – _

_Well I'm just not gonna think anymore of it ok? It happened, it meant nothing. It's done. _

_You can't possibly think-_

_It's nothing. It's done. _

_…_

_I'll get over it… _

* * *

**AN: :O and the JORIness begins! Well, I guess it's already been going on but... oh you guys know what I mean! **

**Anywho, next chapter will continue with Jade, don't think I forgot... Tori's part just came out a little longer than usual so I left it by itself. **

**Hope you guys liked it! **


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Hey guys! Remember that time when I said I would try to post a new chapter every day? -_-**

**Man, that proved to be harder than I thought it'd be... I'm trying though, I promise! **

**Ok, here we go...**

* * *

**Jade**

_Fuck._

_Fucking fuck._

_Motherfucking fucking fuck._

_You've really done it now haven't you?_

I press my nails into the palm of my hand in an attempt to release some of the tension coursing through my body.

I feel like shit. The momentary sobriety that had resulted from the sudden adrenaline rush having long passed. I'm feeling sluggish, dizzy, and extremely nauseous. And this nasty ass headache is just getting worse and worse. Although, I don't even know if these are solely the effects of the alcohol anymore…

I hear Tori let out a soft sigh from the driver's seat next to me. I squeeze my eyes shut even tighter as I press harder into my palm.

_Fuck._

What the hell had I done? What the hell was I thinking?

The nasty feeling in my stomach seems to intensify and my head pounds even more.

I wasn't thinking. That's the problem. That's always the problem. I'm impulsive. I'm careless. I do things without thinking simply because they seem like a good idea at the time. And normally, I don't care if it turns out to not be, I simply say 'fuck it' and move on. If someone ends up hurt in the process, so be it. I couldn't care less.

That's how it's always been.

That's how it should always be.

It makes things easier, not caring. It makes everything much less important than it should be. The less I get involved, the less I care, the less I hurt.

But now everything is different. There's no point trying to deny it. Things changed. I changed.

Tori changed me. Or did I change for Tori?

God, this is fucking crazy…

But it's true. I let her in, and deep inside I knew that once I did, there would be no turning back. No way to deny what she'd already seen. And I still did it. I let her in and I'd be lying if I said I regretted it. These past weeks with her have been some of the best days of my life. And as sad as that sounds, I really don't feel the least bit bad about it.

In the last three weeks I've become someone I always swore I'd never be. At least with her. But somehow, it's enough. It's enough to know that I'm capable of opening up so completely to someone; knowing full well that by doing so I will be exposed and vulnerable. The risk had never seemed worth it until Tori. My mother's words kept echoing in my mind. Telling me that I was giving her too much power over me; that I was an idiot for trusting her so blindly when she could easily use it against me. But every single time the doubts came, all it took was a simple smile from Tori, and I knew that that was not something I had to worry about.

But then I go and fuck everything up.

I don't know what came over me. Honest to fucking God, I don't. One minute we're dancing, laughing and just having a good time, and next thing I know, Tori is pressed up against me. Her body, her hair, her smell, her face, her hands, her fucking _everything._

It's all Tori.

Tori who makes me smile. Tori who makes me laugh. Tori who makes feel like an actual fucking human being. Who likes me, who _genuinely _likes me. And let me tell you, that's no easy feat… But she does. She likes me and wants me around just as much as I want her. It dawns on me then, how much she truly means to me. How much I care for her, how much I want, no _need,_ her in my life. How thankful I am to her for being part of it. How safe she makes me feel. How fucking _happy _I am.

Now, I've never been one for physical contact; hugs, cuddling, spooning, etc… Even with Beck I draw the line when things get too lovey dovey… But with Tori, it's become such a vital part of our friendship. Through it she's able to transmit to me things that just can't be expressed through words alone. So feeling her so close. Her body pressed against mine, enveloping me in something I just can't seem to get enough of with her. I just couldn't handle it.

It was too much. It was just too damn much.

My brain went into overload and my body took over.

It wanted more. It wanted more of her. And she held on just as tight, just as intensely. Like she also felt the same kind of comfort in my touch… the need for it. I wanted to show her just what she did to me, just what she made me feel. I needed her to see.

And that's when it happened.

I felt it even before it left her mouth. The rumbling in her throat, the throat I was currently kissing. The way it resounded as it left her lips, swept through my hair and caressed my ear. It unleashed something inside of me… something that until then had been dormant and unseen. And it scared the living shit out of me.

I couldn't get away though. I couldn't escape it. Hard as I tried. I couldn't even figure it out because before I knew it she was right there again. Right in front of me and I'm even more confused than before. I'm lost because not one single thought in my brain is making sense. This newly awaken force creating chaos within me. The only thing that remains is her. Amidst the turmoil she stands as the only source of reason… Which makes absolutely no fucking sense since she's the one who caused it all! It's as though she's both the problem and the answer. Yea… _You_ try to explain that shit to me.

She stares at me with equally troubled eyes. But beneath them I see something else, something that captivates me completely. And before I know what I'm doing my face is just a few centimeters from hers, hot breath on my lips making my entire body tremble and-

"Jade?"

My eyes snap open when I feel a warm hand on my exposed shoulder. I whip around and am met with worried brown eyes, whose owner quickly yanks her hand away at my reaction.

"We-we're here." She mumbles.

Our eyes meet for the first time since the alley and I immediately begin to panic. I'm sure she wants to talk about it. She wants to say _something_. Question me. Demand to know what the hell I was thinking. But how can I respond when I don't even know the answer myself? No… I can't. Not yet. Not ever, probably.

I tear my gaze away and open the car door. I make my way into the house quickly, leaving the door open for her to come in but not waiting. I can't be near her. I'm afraid of what I might say. What I might do.

I go to the kitchen and look through my parent's medicine cabinet to take some much needed aspirin. I hear the front door close in the living room and then the faint sound of sock clad footsteps in the kitchen.

"I-I… I think I'm gonna go." Tori says in a soft voice. All my panic disappears and is instead replaced by fear. Fear that her words hold more meaning than the actual literal one. That she'll leave my house… but also leave me. All because of what I did. What I _almost _did.

My grip on the aspirin bottle tightens as I remain with my back to her. I don't want to face her… but the thought of her leaving is even worse. There's a long silence that even now isn't awkward, just extremely tense. In an outburst of courage I turn around to face her.

"Tori I'm-"

"Listen Jade I-"

We both stop when the other one talks. She smiles awkwardly and looks down at her nervously clasped hands and I let out a sigh setting the bottle of pills on the counter as I take a few steps towards her.

"Tori I'm sorry ok? I don't know what the fuck I was thinking and I –"

"No, no, no…" she shakes her head vigorously and waves a hand in the air as she also walks over to me. "I-I know… You don't have to explain anything to me." _She knows? What does she know and why the fuck don't _I _know? _"You – _we – _had a few drinks and well, you know…" she trails off with a nervous laugh. "It's… it's really not a big deal." _It isn't? _"I mean I won't_-don't_ think it's a big deal or anything if that's what you're worried about."

"Tori I don't think-"

"No, Jade please." She looks at me with pleading eyes. "I don't want anything with us to change. I… I'm just so happy with what we have and I would hate to lose it- to lose _you_ over something so silly." She adds with a soft smile and lifts her hand to touch my arm but hesitates midair, finally deciding against it and bringing it back down to toy with a button on the vest. "I promise you it's fine. I'm fine." I stare at her for a few moments, trying to figure out what the hell she's talking about, why she's acting as if she's the one that did wrong and needs to fix it. Like she's afraid that _I _will leave _her _and not the other way around like I'm currently assuming.

_She's not upset at what I did. _I realize. _She thinks it was all because of the alcohol; that it meant absolutely nothing to me and that I'm acting like a douche bag now to make that clear._

I don't know whether to be relieved or feel even more like a piece of shit. I purse my lips and look down at my hands.

"Please Jade." She pleads softly once more, bringing my eyes back to hers. "Can we just… can we just go back to how we were?"

I gaze intently at her. Once again captivated by whatever it is I see in her eyes that I just can't figure out. The commotion inside me still unsettling and confusing, making me highly doubt things could ever go back to how they were a mere hour ago.

But those eyes… God, those _fucking_ eyes. All my fears dissolve with the promise of keeping them around. Of keeping _her_ around.

"You owe me a new pair of boots." I say finally, small smirk on my lips. Her eyes light up and all worry in them disappears as a smile slowly appears on her face.

"Sounds good." she nods.

"Now make me something to eat and take care of me like I did for your drunk ass two weeks ago." I demand as I grab the pills, a water bottle and head to the living room. I hear her chuckle and soon she begins rifling through the cabinets. I plop down on the couch and turn on the tv. It's barely a little past midnight and I'm not tired enough to call it a night. I still feel a little buzzed but my nausea and headache have significantly diminished, which makes me wonder if it was even brought on by the alcohol to begin with. I glance over to the kitchen and see Tori cutting up some stuff on the counter as she prepares God knows what for me. A small smile tugs at my lips while I watch her mumbling to herself as she works; I feel that pull on my stomach again, so I shake my head and turn my attention back to the tv.

A few minutes later she comes into the living room with a plate and a cup in her hands.

"Your majesty…" She does a little curtsy as she hands them to me.

"Damn right." I snicker taking the plate which contains a grilled ham & cheese sandwich with tomato and a cup of soda. She sticks her tongue out at me and disappears back into the kitchen where she grabs her own.

"Holy shit, Vega." I say between mouthfuls. "This is fucking delicious."

"It's just a grilled cheese sandwich." She says dismissively as she sits by me on the carpet with her back against the couch.

"Look, Little Miss Modest…" I nudge her with my knee. "What have I told you about taking compliments?" She shrugs and smiles. "Let's try again. Why Miss, this here's the best goddamn grilled cheese sandwich I've ever had in my entire fucking life!" I say dramatically. She laughs resting her arm on my thigh as she twists back to look at me.

"Well I am the best –darn– grilled cheese sandwich maker in this –freaking– city!" She says equally as dramatic. I let my head fall back onto the couch's headrest as I let out a loud laugh.

"Ok, now, what have I told you about cussing?" I chastise. Her smile is replaced by a frown as she turns back to the tv.

"I don't like to say bad words, you know that." I laugh again as I take another bite from my sandwich. "It's not ladylike." She adds with a smirk.

"Ohhh…" I say feigning offense while she giggles and bites into her sandwich. "So what the fuck does that shit fucking make _me, _goddammit?!" I snap through a mouthful of food. She almost chokes on her own as she burst into laughter. And I can't help but smile as a feeling of relief floods me, letting me know that everything will be alright after all.

As the days pass, the tension between us fades and we fall back into our regular interaction. But I can tell something's changed. I feel it. And I know she feels it too. I can see it in the way she still hesitates before touching me. In the way she keeps a small distance between us at all times. It's not very obvious, like she's trying to not make it such a big deal; but I still notice, and I wonder why it is that there's a sudden need to draw lines and set limits, when before none of that mattered? What changed?

It's like we're both more aware now. More aware of ourselves and of each other. I notice things I didn't before. Well, things that I had but had never noticed I had, does that make sense? Like, the way her face furrows when she laughs at something inappropriate, something she does around me a lot. The way her eyes widen and literally fucking sparkle when she's excited about something. How her lips pull into a crooked smile whenever I say something nice to her. How she bites her lower lip and scrunches her eyebrows when she's troubled or confused by something. I already knew all this; subconsciously I was aware of her doing them but now, now I _notice_ her doing them.

And I've also caught her watching me just as closely. Unlike me, though, she's more reserved about it; like she's not sure if she should be doing it. Whenever she sees that I've caught her, she'll blush and look away immediately, which amuses me greatly. We continue spending every moment we can together though. And when we can't we're constantly texting or talking on the phone if we're able. We never speak of the night at the club and I'm very thankful for that as I still don't know what the hell I'd say about it.

All I care about is the fact that we're ok. That our friendship just gets better and better as the days go by. And I honestly don't even understand how we went without it for so long… I can't imagine life with Tori not in it anymore. Without her dorky laugh, her stupid jokes that still make me laugh so hard I often end up with stomach cramps. Without her hugs and smiles. Without the way she blushes and gets all awkward when I tell her dirty jokes or when I–

"_Jade!_"

I blink several times and look up at an exasperated Beck.

"Have you heard _anything_ I've said for the past five minutes?" he asks with a smile but there was slight irritation in his tone.

"Shit. I'm sorry Beck, I… I don't know, I guess I must've zoned out for a bit." I mumble as I take a sip from my coffee and then grimace at how cold it already is. I look up at him and see him staring at me with worried eyes. "What?"

"What's going on Jade?" He asks softly. I scrunch up my eyebrows in confusion as I look back at him.

"What do you mean? I just spaced out, dude. Relax. Nothing's 'going on'."

"It's… it's not just that Jade." He says still intently looking me in the eye, making me slightly uncomfortable. "It's like I never see you anymore. And when I do, it's as though you're not even all there. Like you'd rather be somewhere else." Again I look at him in confusion. He senses this and continues. "Ok, how many times have I seen you this whole week?"

"We see each other every single day at school, Beck! I don't know what you're–"

"That's _five_ days a week, and it doesn't count." He clarifies, lifting a finger up. "I'm asking, how many times have we actually _hung out_? Like, you and me, alone. _Outside_ of school."

"Um, well…" I run my finger over the top of my coffee mug as I think. "Today we're out! We're at a coffee shop, just you and me, alone. _Outside _of school." I say with a smile and shrug. He lets out a sigh and leans back on his chair, looking up at the ceiling.

"It's the first time we've spent time together this whole week and it's already Thursday." His eyes meet mine again and I feel a twinge of guilt as I see the slight hurt in them. "I just… I miss you Jade." He says softly as he leans over the table to take my hands in his. "I-I... did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me? Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven't been avoiding you, Beck." I say while rolling my eyes. " I've just… I've been busy that's all. I do have a life outside of you, you know?" He looks slightly taken aback by my snappy comment and I feel even worse. "I mean, I-I just, I don't know, I needed some time to myself." I add. But his eyes remain down, looking at our clasped hands.

"Time to yourself." He smiles sadly and I feel that nasty feeling of guilt dig deeper into my heart. I've been spending so much time with Tori that I started neglecting my relationship with Beck.

"I'm sorry, you're right. I… I haven't been around much and I'm sorry. I really am." He looks at me in a bit of shock, not used to me apologizing for anything and actually meaning it. _Fucking Vega turning me into a goddamn sap. _He smiles warmly and squeezes my hands in his.

"How 'bout we do something this weekend?" He says excitedly. "We could go out to a movie? To eat? Afterwards you could come spend the night and-"

"Oh so _that's _what this is about isn't it, Oliver?" I say with a smirk. "You just wanna get in my pants." He grins and shakes his head.

"You know me well, babe." He tells me with a wink. I slap his hands and pull mine away, making him grin. "No, you know that's not it. Although, we really haven't… you know… in a while now, so it would be very much appreciated-" Another smack, this time on the shoulder. "_But,_" he says through chuckles as he takes my hands back in his. "I just miss spending time with you… doesn't matter what we're doing."

"Ok, Saint Oliver." I say sarcastically. "What kind of _activities _do you have in mind?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_"Hello?"_

"Vega, what have I told you about wearing your hair up in a bun?" I grunt into the phone as I try to not lose my balance.

"_That it makes me look like an old maid." _She huffs as she turns away from her closet and walks towards her bed.

"Whoa! But with those sexy glasses you have on, you're now the star of a bad sexy librarian porno!"

_"Oh my God Jade!" _she says between chuckles and I can see her cheeks turn a slight pink. "_That's just wrong and ins– wait… how do you know what I'm wearing?" _Her voice turns panicked as she looks around her room with wide eyes. She then bends down and checks under the bed.

"Really Tori? Under the bed?" I snicker. Her head snaps up again as she looks around wildly.

"_Jade! Where are you?!" _She goes to her bathroom and swings the door open, disappearing momentarily as she checks it before stomping back into her room and looking under the desk. "_Did you-did you set up cameras in my room?" _she gasps.

"Yes Vega, I fucking Big Brothered your house…" I say with a laugh. My foot suddenly slips and I loose my balance. "Oh shit!" I hiss as my hand shoots up to steady myself. Tori looks up from behind the small sofa in her room as her attention turns to the window.

"_Oh my God, are you on the tree outside my bedroom?" _she cries into the phone as she makes her way over slowly, narrowing her eyes as she tries to see through the darkness outside.

"You should really invest in thicker curtains, Vega. Or else just any creep could sit out here and watch you all night long without you even knowing it…" She moves the thin curtains out of the way and presses her face against the glass, squinting to see me. Once her eyes focus on me, I give her a smirk and lift my eyebrow expectantly.

"_I think you're the only creep that would even think of doing that." _She says sending me a smirk of her own.

"Just open the fucking window already, Vega!" I snap. "I'm freezing out here." I hear her snickering before the line goes dead as she hangs up and sets her phone down on the desk so she can open the window. I stuff my cell phone in my jacket as the glass slides open and I hand her a cup of coffee so I can use both hands to climb in.

"How the heck were you able to climb up the tree with a coffee cup in your hands?" She cries as she takes the cup.

"Some people are just skilled like that."

"Wait, you got me a coffee?" She says with a goofy smile once I'm inside.

"Nah, I just didn't want mine anymore." I tell her flatly as I shrug off my coat. She frowns but still takes a drink, her eyes immediately lighting up as she does.

"You _did _bring me a coffee!" She exclaims.

"And what on earth would make you think I would do such a vile thing?" I say trying to fight off a grin.

"This is a vanilla latte, my favorite. You only drink it black with two sugars." She says proudly before taking another drink. She closes her eyes and pats her stomach with her free hand. "Mmm! _Friendship _coffee!" She sing-songs. I roll my eyes and go sit on the bed.

"You can't prove anything, Vega." I grunt. "Just like you can't prove that the piece of banana nut bread in my coat is also for you." She squeals in delight and rushes to where I threw my coat, retrieving the pastry.

"My favorite!" She says before taking a big bite from it. I finally let my smile show as she comes over and sits on the bed next to me, bringing the pastry up to me where I lean in and take a bite. She takes another drink from the cup and I snort when I see a small foam mustache on her upper lip.

"You've got yourself a little…" I say with a chuckle as I motion to her mouth.

"What? A mustache? What makes you think I didn't do it on purpose? Maybe I like this look." She says smugly.

"Oh that's right…" I say as I facepalm myself. "I forgot you're into that whole being a dude thing!" She gasps and makes an indignant face, to which I laugh. "So tell me Tor, is that your cell phone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" I ask as I jump out of the bed to escape the attack I know is coming as soon as the words leave my mouth.

"God, you're never gonna let that go are you?" she barks while she sets the bread and coffee down. She then grabs a pillow from her bed and throws it at me. I catch it easily and quickly throw it back, hitting her in the face. I laugh and throw a little fist pump. She gives me a deadly glare as she slowly removes her glasses and sets them on her night table. I make an 'o' shape with my mouth as I wave my hands in front of me, pretending to be scared. She grabs another pillow and charges, again I easily dodge her and she crashes into her couch.

"Maybe you should put your glasses back on there, buddy." I tease. She lets out a growl and pounces on me, taking me by surprise this time as she sends us crashing onto her bed which I was standing right in front of. I let out a muffled grunt as she climbs on top of me, grabbing one of the pillows and hitting me repeatedly with it. I can't help but laugh at her weak attempts to hurt me, the pillow softly colliding with my face. "Alright, alright!" I cry between laughs as I hold my hands up in surrender. She stops and sits up, running a hand through her now undone hair as she tries to catch her breath. I chuckle as I look up at her.

"I'm _not_ a man." she says sternly while pointing a finger down at me. I grin and nod. "I was four and the doctor sai-"

"Said it happens to a lot of little kids at that age..." I finish for her. "Yea, yea… I know. I just love to see you get all freaked out and defensive."

"I know you do, _meanie_." She says with her signature pout as she folds her arms across her chest. I let out an airy laugh, never taking my eyes off her.

_God she's so fucking cute… _I think to myself as my eyes sweep over her face, which suddenly becomes a way darker shade of red. My smile drops and I feel the blood drain from my face when I realize I said it out loud. She bites her lower lip and gives me a sheepish smile, making my stomach all stupid and fluttery; a feeling that happens all too often when I'm with her.

I suddenly become very aware of the position we're currently in, with me laying flat on the bed and her sitting up on top of me. She seems to catch on to that as well and her eyes widen as she goes to move away but, before I know what I'm doing, my hands shoot up and hold her thighs down, keeping her in place. Her large eyes go from my hands to my face as her breathing quickens. I notice my own breathing falter as I continue studying her. My eyes slowly taking in every inch of her, as though I were seeing her for the first time. When our gazes meet again I see fear and panic in her eyes, along with whatever it was I saw that night at the club, but it's soon overtaken by the other two emotions and she quickly climbs off of me.

She goes over to her nightstand to retrieve her coffee and takes a huge drink from it. She clears her throat and puts her glasses back on.

"So!" she lets out one of her dorky nervous laughs. "Can I offer you anything to drink? Eat? You wanna watch tv? Maybe we could put on a movie! Or look at videos on the slap! Yea! I heard Rex posted a video of Robbie wearing a dress! And Cat has one that-"

"Vega."

"-her brother juggling pigeons in the background-"

"Vega."

"-never really seen her brother, I wonder if he even exis-"

"_Tori!_" She stops her rambling and turns to me, eyes still wide and completely breathless. I'm now sitting up on the bed, looking at her amusedly. "I'm going home now." I say getting up from the bed, her eyebrows furrow a bit as she looks at me. "I just came to tell you that we're all going to my parent's old cabin up in Big Bear for the weekend." I open the window but turn to her before climbing out. "We leave tomorrow after school and come back Sunday." She stares at me blankly for a moment, so I snap my fingers in front of her face a few times. "You're going right?"

"Who-who's going?" She stammers.

"Well, I haven't really told anyone, other than Beck." She looks down and shifts nervously at the mention of his name. "I didn't wanna say anything until I knew you would go." Her eyes snap back to mine and I give her a small smile.

"Yea… yea I'm down." She say softly.

"Awesome." I put one leg out the window and onto the branch. "See you tomorrow." I pull myself out and steady my footing before beginning the climb down.

"Jade?" I look up and see Tori's face sticking out the window as she looks down at me. She stays quiet for a moment, as if she's debating whether or not she wants to say anything after all. "I-I… Goodnight." She finally breathes out. A slow smile pulls at my lip as I continue looking up at her.

"Goodnight, Tor." I murmur. She gives me that little crooked smile as she places her elbow on the window sill and rests her chin on her palm.

"I like it when you call me that." She mutters softly.

"I know." I whisper back. We look at each other for a moment more before I continue my climb down again.

The fluttering in my stomach continues all the way home. And I notice how hard it's become to stop smiling. Vega has become like a fucking drug to me. And I may not fully understand the effects and consequences it brings, but one thing's for sure:

I'm hooked.

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**AN: Ok, so next chapter we'll be back to the both point of views format... I hope you guys are liking it! Let me know if you do! I like when people mention specific parts of the story that they enjoyed in particular. :) It makes me feel all happy and warm! Alright, I'll see you guys soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Que onda amigos and amigas?! Oh man, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading your reviews! I loved how some of you guys told me about your favorite parts in the chapter... It kinda made me feel like I got to know you a little bit, does that make any sense? No? It just makes me sound like a weird creep? Yea, i thought so. U_U **

**But oh well! I don't care so do it again 'cause I loved it! :D**

**Ok so here ya go! Happy Monday! (Or whatever day you're reading this in, I don't know your life! O_O)**

* * *

**Tori**

"Damn, this place is amazing!" Andre exclaims as he sets his bag down and looks around. I set my things by one of the couches taking in my surroundings in awe as well. Jade's parent's cabin is beautiful. It's not too big, but it's cozy and spacious. Everything is rustic and made out of wood.

"Yea, it's pretty cool." Jade says indifferently as she brings the rest of the food supplies in and places them on the kitchen counter.

"Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!" We turn to see Cat jumping up and down excitedly by the door. "There's a lake! There's a lake for _swimming_!"

"There sure is kitty cat…" Jade gives her a smile as she pushes her sunglasses up on top of her head. "We'll go for a swim in a bit ok?" She adds to which Cat squeals in delight. "Vega." She suddenly snaps. "Make yourself useful and help me take all this shit up to the room." She grabs a couple of bags and heads up the stairs while Andre goes back outside to help Robbie and Beck unload the rest of the stuff from the truck and Cat runs around giggling excitedly. I take a few bags from the floor and follow Jade up the wooden steps. There's a total of three rooms in the cabin; two of those rooms have double twin beds, while the third one has a king sized bed. She puts her and Beck's things in the big room and then ushers me to one of the other rooms.

"You can take that bed, and Cat will sleep there." She says pointing to one of the twin beds. "Your bed has the better mattress." She adds with a wink.

"Man, it's times like this that I wish we didn't keep our friendship a secret." I say as I sit down on the edge of one of the beds.

"Why?" She asks taking a seat on the one in front of me.

"'Cause…" I groan. "This is such an amazing place and here we are, with all our friends, ready to have fun. And the one person I want to enjoy this with the most is pretending to hate me." I look down at the floor and run my feet over the curves of the wood. Jade remains quiet, but I can feel her gaze on me.

"We-we can tell them if you want…" She says softly. My eyes snap up in shock. "I mean, if it really bothers you that much I –"

"No, no…" I say reaching across to take her hand in mine. "I know that you're not ready and… honestly I don't think I am either." She looks at me in confusion. "I love what we have, Jade. It's cool to be your secret friend." I smile. "I love how we're the only ones in on it, you know? And I have fun pretending to fight with you because I know you don't mean it. It's just…" I sigh and let go of her hand as I lean back on the bed. "I don't know… there are occasions, like this one for example, that I'm gonna have to experience without you. Well, I mean, you'll be here but… you know." She looks at me for a moment, her green eyes studying me intently.

"We'll see about that." She says with a slow smile pulling at her lips.

We join the others downstairs where Cat and Robbie are already in their bathing suits, waiting anxiously for us to change and take them to the lake. Sometimes I feel like they're the children in our group, and we the legal guardians. After we finish arranging all of our supplies for the weekend, the rest of us change into our swimming gear and head to the lake which is literally in the cabin's backyard. I race Cat and Robbie to the shore, laughing when Robbie trips over a log and falls face first into the water. I'm in the middle of a splash war with Cat when I turn and see Jade and Beck emerge from the house in their suits.

Now, Beck is a really good looking guy, every girl in Hollywood Arts knows that. Great face, beautiful hair. He's got the whole six-pack going on, along with the toned biceps and tanned skin, he's every girl's dream. And yet, it's the girl next to him that makes my breath hitch and heart stop. There she is, walking toward us, exuding confidence through every pore in her body. Her black locks flowing freely in the slight breeze and the sun reflecting brightly off her aviators. Her sleek neck beautifully exposed as her black bikini straps loop around it. Swaying her hips with every step she takes. Womanly curves enhancing her flat stomach. Legs long and toned below her bikini bottom. She looks like she came straight out of a magazine.

"Holy chiz…" I mutter.

"Heads up!"

Suddenly something hits the side of my head making me lose my balance and sink below the surface.

"Ow!" I cry sputtering out nasty lake water and grabbing my head. I look around and see a volleyball floating next to me.

"Sorry Tori!" I hear Andre call as he waves his hands about twenty feet away in the water. I grab the ball and throw it roughly at him, going back to rubbing my sore head. I glance again at Jade and see her smirking at me, pierced eyebrow raised behind her sunglasses. I look away embarrassed that she once again caught me staring.

I know I sound like a total creep, but… God I don't know what's wrong with me! It's like I can't help myself, and it scares me because I don't understand it. The way she affects me, the way she makes me feel. At the beginning it was just so awesome to be close to her, to hang out, to talk to her, to spend time together. It's what I had always wanted. A friendship with her; and just like I had predicted, it was great. But I never thought it would be _this _great. It's just so perfect. _She's _so freaking perfect… in every sense of the word, not just physically, I mean I'm not a _total_ perv. She's such an amazing person. I love every single quality of hers and could go on and on talking about all the things I like about her.

Every day my admiration grows and I can't seem to get enough of her. I want to spend every single second in her company. And when we're not together I'm constantly thinking of things she would say or do if she were there with me. I often find myself smiling as I think back on things we've done or things she's told me… or just thinking about her. Thinking about how smart, talented, and confident she is, how much she makes me laugh, how outstandingly beautiful she is… And I've always known that, I mean, I'm not blind. But it's different now; it's as though her beauty has gone to a completely new level because it now combines with her internal beauty. And Jade as a whole is just… I can't – there are just absolutely no words to describe her.

And that's when I get scared. Because I know she shouldn't make me feel like she does. She shouldn't be making my heart stop every time she comes into a room; then making it beat like crazy when she smiles, or with a simple glance. My stomach shouldn't go into uproar whenever she touches me or whenever I touch her. I shouldn't _want _to touch her so much… God, all I wanna do when I see her is hug her, run my fingers through her hair, caress her face, feel her… just _feel _her. Feel her close to me and –

_No._

_No. _

_No, no, no, NO._

Every day it's the same darn argument with myself. Every single day I have to stop these thoughts from rooting down into my head. I have to cut them out before they take over. I can't give in to them. I do everything in my power to fight them off; I try to limit my physical interaction with her as much as I can without it coming off as weird. I try to refrain from looking at her so much, from thinking about her so much… But how the heck am I supposed to do that when she's the only thing my brain recognizes anymore? The only thing my mind dwells on day and night?

And it's not like she's helping at all! No, she makes everything a hundred times worse! The way she looks at me, the things she says, the way she touches me… it drives me crazy! And the worse part about it is that I don't think she even knows she's doing it. I have to keep reminding myself that she's never really had friends other than Beck, her boyfriend. So she does and says things that may come off as... I don't know_, something else_, simply because that's all she knows.

So then I feel even worse for feeling –whatever it is this is– for her. Because I really don't know how to explain it; how to label it. Because it can't be–

It just can't be… _that. _Because that would mean that I'm…

And I'm _not._

I'm definitely not... you know.

So then if I'm not... _like that_… then it has to be something else! Yes, definitely something else. And like everything else, it too shall pass. Until then, I just gotta keep these thoughts and feelings in check and I'll be fine. Because I am not about to mess up one of the best things that's ever happened to me just because I'm going through some sort of… confusing period. Like a mid-_mid_-life crisis.

After a couple of hours of playing volleyball and a few rounds of Marco Polo, the sun begins to set and I feel my stomach growl. I step out of the water and head to the pile of towels sitting next to Jade, who has been sunbathing the entire time. I try to avert my eyes from her body as I bend down to pick up the towel but somehow I manage to meet her gaze, which is currently set on me. And even though I can't see her eyes behind the dark shades, I can tell she's sweeping them over my body. I blush and try to look away but just before I do, I notice how she ever so slightly bites on her bottom lip and I'm certain I will faint if I don't sit down. I let myself drop onto the patch of grass next to her and take a deep breath, willing the chaos in my chest and stomach to settle down. I lay on my back, not caring if the dirt and grass sticks to my still wet skin, and press my hands into my eyes as I continue trying to regulate my breathing.

"You ok there?" I hear the source of my torture say from next to me. "The kids wear you out?" she chuckles.

"Yea… I guess I'm not as young and full of energy as I thought I was." I say a little breathlessly, still keeping my eyes shut.

"Ok, _grandma._" She says. "Let's go get dinner started, I'm fucking starving." A shadow covers my face and I know she's standing in front of me. I open my eyes and immediately wish I hadn't. Jade stands just a few feet from me, arms high in the air as she stretches, muscles contracting everywhere in her toned body as her skin glistens from the sun tan lotion.

_Tori, for the love of sushi, keep your chiz together… _

We head inside and the group soon follows. After a fancy dinner consisting of ham sandwiches and goldfish crackers we all move into the living room where Beck gets the fireplace going and Cat proceeds to roast marshmallows in it. Jade is in the kitchen making hot chocolate which according to Beck she is the absolute best at. I feel a twinge of jealousy at the idea of her making some specially for him and then chastise myself for having such thoughts.

She walks back into the living room carrying a tray and hands everyone a cup except for me. I look at her expectantly and she simply smirks.

"Oops." She says with fake surprise. "I guess I must've miscalculated."

"Awww, Jade!" I groan. "Can I at least _try _it?" I look around as everyone avoids my gaze and drink from their cups. "Cat?" I ask throwing her my best smile. She turns towards the fire and begins humming some random tune, obviously pretending she can't hear me. I roll my eyes and turn to Andre who also looks away. Beck and Robbie quickly stand to look at the paintings on the walls, which are suddenly much more interesting. I huff and cross my arms over my chest, sending a mean glare at Jade, who smiles and heads back into the kitchen to grab her mug of coffee.

Once everyone is done with their hot chocolates and I finish my juice box, Robbie brings out a deck of cards. We play poker for the next half hour when suddenly Cat, who had been acting a bit more out of it than usual, crawls onto the couch and without a single word, falls asleep. I raise an eyebrow and look at everyone else to see them all with equally tired faces. Robbie stretches and tries to stifle a yawn with his hand as he slowly slides down onto the carpet.

"God, I'm exhausted." he says as he curls up in front of the fireplace. "I'm just gonna rest my eyes for a…" and he's out. Both my eyebrows shoot up as I turn to Andre and see him also yawning while he brings his feet up on the table in front of him and leans back on his chair.

"I guess all that swimming really took a toll on us…" he says between yawns before he too drifts off.

"Guys, you can't be serious!" I exclaim as I look at Beck who is already comfortably laying on one of the other couches. "It's barely eight o'clock!" But they're already gone. Robbie kicking and whimpering by the fireplace. "What the heck?" I scrunch up my eyebrows and turn to look at Jade who is standing by the kitchen, smug smile on her face.

"So…" she drawls. "Ready to go?" she turns and grabs a flashlight from one of the drawers.

"What?" I cry getting up from my chair and turning to her. "Go where? What's going on? What happened to–" I gasp and cover my mouth with my hands as my eyes widen in shock. She rolls her eyes and looks at me impatiently. "You… you did _this_!" I whisper pointing my finger back at our unconscious friends.

"_Now_ aren't you glad you didn't get any hot chocolate?" She mutters flatly as she makes her way to the door.

"What- you…" I look back at all the empty mugs around the living room. "Y-you _poisoned _them?" I gasp again. She stops at the door and spins around to send me an unbelieving glare.

"_No _I didn't '_poison'_ them!" She says throwing finger quotes around the word 'poison'. "I simply ground up some of my mom's sleeping pills into their hot chocolate ok? They'll be sleeping like little angels for the next eight to ten hours." I stare at her in shock.

"You _drugged_ our friends?" She lets out an exasperated groan and runs a hand down her face.

"Vega, they'll be _fine! _I've done it before; I know what I'm doing." She snaps as she turns back and opens the door. "Now, we can either stay here and argue over how morally wrong what I did was, or you can shut your trap and come with me!" I look at her then back at the sleeping bodies to my right. I let out a sigh and trudge on over to her. "Good girl." She says with a proud smile.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Jade? Are you sure you know where you're going?" I ask nervously as I follow closely behind her down the narrow trail. I hear a branch break somewhere to my left and gasp. The only thing visible is the light coming out of Jade's flashlight in front of us.

"Tori, I've walked this trail millions of times ok? I could do it in my sleep. Relax, we're almost there."

"But isn't there like, bears and other scary animals around here?" I whisper.

"Well, legend has it that there is a large black bear known as Baloo that comes out to hunt once a week around here. Eating anyone and anything it encounters." I gulp. "But he only comes out on Friday nights so we're good." She adds dismissively.

"Jade…" I squeak feeling my blood turn cold. "Today _is _Friday!" She stops dead in her tracks, causing me to crash into her. She turns around slowly and places the flashlight just below her face, making her green eyes shine eerily.

"I-I was sure today was Satur– _Oh my God!" _She screams in horror looking and pointing at something behind me. I let out the loudest and girliest of screams as I shut my eyes tight and cover my head with my hands, bracing myself for the giant claws of death do rip me to pieces. But when nothing happens, my scream dies down and the crickets and other nocturnal insects are once again the only noise around us. I tentatively open my eyes to see green ones shining amusedly in the pale light of the flashlight.

"Well if your incessant talking and clumsy walking didn't alert every single bear within a five mile radius of our presence, that lovely scream sure did." She smirks before turning around and continuing down the trail. I gape at her in shock before another mysterious noise behind me makes me rush to catch up to her.

"You are such a _jerk!_" I hiss as I once again resume my place behind her. "I almost _peed_ myself!" She lets out a loud chuckle, making me get even angrier.

"Oh you big baby!" she says with a laugh. "Here." She reaches back and grabs my hand, intertwining our fingers together as she pulls me onward. My anger immediately dissipates at the warm feel of her skin against mine. And I mentally curse at myself when I feel a flutter in my stomach. "Ok, we're here." She says after a minute or so, and I try to ignore the slight disappointment I feel when she lets go of my hand. "So… was almost pissing your pants worth it?" She asks with a smile as she steps out into a clearing. My breath catches as I take in the sight before me.

Surrounded by the thick forest and bathed in the moonlight is a beautiful waterfall. It stands maybe twenty feet tall, cascading gracefully into a creek that stretches in front of us. Fireflies dance around the rocks and boulders surrounding the water, adding to the enchanting sight.

"Jade, it's… it's beautiful." I mutter as I walk forward.

"I used to come here every night we stayed at the cabin." She says as she turns off the flashlight and walks up to a large boulder. "I'd sit on this rock and just listen to the sound of the waterfall until sunrise." She leans on the boulder and closes her eyes, a smile slowly appearing on her lips. I feel one of my own forming as I watch her. "I've never brought anyone here before." She says suddenly, her eyes making their way to mine.

"Really?" I ask, my heart skipping a beat.

"You're the first one, Vega." She says with a grin. "You should feel fucking special."

She then pushes off the rock and walks over to the water, where she spends the next hour trying to capture fireflies or other disgusting creatures while I simply watch and keep a safe distance. At some point she is able to capture a small green frog and tries to get me to touch it by chasing me around with it; her laughter and my shrieks of horror echoing through the night sky.

She finally gives up and releases the slimy creature, much to my relief.

"God Vega…" She says through breathless laughter as she rests her hands on her knees. "You're such a fucking wuss!"

"Am not!" I cry equally out of breath. "I just don't like insects and slimy things! But that doesn't make me a wuss!"

"Does too!" She snaps back playfully.

"Does not!" I exclaim stomping my foot.

"Alright," she says giving me a mischievous look. "Prove it." My stomach immediately flops from the glint I see in her eyes.

"O-ok…" I stammer, trying to sound brave and confident. "How?"

"Jump off the waterfall." She says with an evil smirk. My eyes widen and I begin shaking my head.

"What? No! Are you crazy! I'll die!" She rolls her eyes with a bored expression.

"It is not_ that_ high, Vega. I've jumped off it a couple times myself and the water below it is deep enough to guarantee you won't crash into the bottom." I glance uneasily at the waterfall, which suddenly looks a hundred feet tall. "But," she continues as she walks away casually. "If you're too much of a _wuss_ to do it… I'll understand." I furrow my brows and set my jaw, as I stomp over to the pile of rocks that look like they'll make the easiest climb to the top, taking off the shirt and shorts I'm currently wearing over my bathing suit and setting them on the ground before I start the ascend which takes no more than two minutes to complete.

I carefully make my way to the edge of a large rock that sits atop the waterfall and peak down. It really isn't that high but I'm still scared out of my mind. I glance down at where Jade is sitting, arms crossed in front of her chest as she throws me an amused smile, motioning with her head for me to go ahead. I ball my hands into fists and walk forward even closer to the edge.

"Holy shit are you really gonna do it?" She asks as she looks up at me.

"What? You didn't think I would?" I call down, feeling a bit offended that she really thought I'd back out, which, I mean, I _was _considering… up until she said that. "Well, _West. _Now you'll think twice before calling Tori Vega a wuss!"

"Tori, I was just kidding, you don't have to-" But I'm in the air before she can finish her sentence and before I can change my mind. "_Tori_!"

And suddenly I'm enveloped in darkness and water. I feel completely disoriented, I'm not even sure which way is up and which way is down, so I just start swimming until I break the surface with a loud intake of air. I look around and realize I came up on the other side of the waterfall which is a large cave like space illuminated by the moonlight shining through the curtain of water. It's really quite beautiful.

"Tori! Tori, goddammit! Where are you?" I hear Jade's panicked voice as she jumps into the water and frantically calls for me.

"Jade! I'm over here!" I call as I peer through the water at her blurry form on the other side.

"Tori? Tori where the fuck did you go?"

"On the other side of the waterfall! Come! It's awesome in here!"

I see her submerge and two seconds later appear on the inside a few feet from me. Her eyes wide and worried. She quickly swims towards me and grabs me by the shoulders.

"Tori! Holy shit, are you ok? Did you get hurt? Break anything? Cuts? Did you hit your head or-"

"I'm ok, Jade."

"Maybe you're in shock and can't feel anything right now or-"

"Jade!" I cry through a chuckle as I take her face with my hands and force her to look me in the eye. "I'm ok. I promise."

"Jesus fucking Christ Vega! You scared the living shit out of me!" She mutters finally. Pressing her hands over my own on her face. My heart swells when I see the genuine worry and concern in her wide green eyes.

"You were worried about me..." I tease in a sing song voice. "You were scared… You were scared 'cause you just can't bear to live without good ol' Tori Vega in your life!" I continue chanting to which she rolls her eyes, but a small smile pulls at her lips.

"No…" She says with a smirk as she takes my hands from her face and places them on her shoulders so she can keep me afloat. "I was just worried about having to hide your body and then having to think of something to tell the others to explain your disappearance." She slowly pushes so our bodies begin drifting toward the rock wall behind me.

"Liar." I whisper as I slide my hands up around her neck.

"You're right." She mutters with a smile.

"That you're a liar?" I ask with a grin as my fingers twist a lock of her wet hair.

"Not that…" She mumbles as my back hits the cold stone surface behind me. She places one of her hands on the ledge by my shoulder to keep us both from sinking, and puts the other one on my waist, pulling herself closer to me. My smile falters and my heart begins hammering in my chest as I look into her eyes. "About me not being able to live without you…" she whispers.

I stare at her, unable to produce any form of intelligible response. She smiles softly as her eyes sweep over my face. "You're driving me crazy, Vega." She mutters, resting her forehead against mine. I close my eyes as I feel her legs brush against my own underwater, making me release a slow shallow breath. "I just don't understand…" she breathes, using her face to gently caress the side of mine.

"W-what?" I stutter in a barely audible tone, leaning into her touch.

"Why I can't get you out of my head." She shifts her face and ever so slightly brushes her lips against the side of my jaw, making my breath catch and my stomach explode into a frenzied flutter. "Why lately all I wanna do…" My hands tighten their grasp around her neck as her breath tickles my face. "Is kiss you…" she whispers. My eyes open and are met with soft green ones gazing intently into them.

All the warning bells that had been going off in my head are suddenly silenced. Everything around me ceases to exist. The only sound echoing in my ears is my heavy breathing and rapid heartbeats. A flash of déjà vu takes me back to the night in the alley, when she looked at me the same way she's looking at me now. When my heart and breath stopped just like they have now. And that's when I realize what I've been denying to myself ever since that night.

That I want to kiss her just as bad…

I tangle my fingers into her hair and pull her forward, stopping just a few centimeters before our lips touch. I feel her gasp faintly as her hungry gaze travels between my lips and my eyes.

"You have no idea…" I whisper softly as I gently brush my lips to hers.

I feel her grip tighten on my waist and then she's pressing her body against mine roughly, trapping me between the rock wall and herself before she fervently presses her lips to mine with such passion I feel my entire body light ablaze. My fingers tighten their grasp on her hair as I pull her even closer. My stomach is now in a state of chaos as her lips move ardently against my own and my heart is just about ready to jump out of my chest at the feel of her body pressed so tightly against mine. The hand on my waist slowly makes its way up my lower back, making a shiver ripple through my entire body. My own hands itching with desire to touch her, to feel her body. The body I've been trying not to think about for weeks now; the body whose owner has been driving me absolutely insane. They slide down her smooth neck to her shoulders, equally as smooth, continuing underwater to her back, travelling down slowly until they reach the top of her bikini bottom. I then bring them to her hips and drag my nails slowly up her sides allowing me to feel her curves, which ignite a fire in the pit of my stomach.

Her lips break apart from mine with a gasp as she presses her head down on my shoulder.

"Fuck…" She mutters huskily as I continue dragging my nails across her skin. I smile and chuckle breathlessly into her hair, already missing the feel of her lips on me. As if reading my mind, my smile instantly disappears when her lips begin fervidly kissing and sucking on my neck. My head arches back against the rock and my eyes close tight as my breathing comes out faster and faster with every nip and bite. Her one free hand desperately pulling me close to her.

"Grab on to the ledge." She whispers hoarsely into my ear. I open my eyes to see her motioning to the rock ledge behind me where she's currently grabbing onto with her hand. While still pressed up against the wall, I lift my arms and do as she says and she lets go, relying completely on me to keep us both afloat. Now with both hands free she wastes no time in using them, and I surrender completely to her touch. She wraps a hand around my waist to steady herself, while she cups my face with the other one, running her thumb softly over my swollen lips. I part them slightly as she does so and kiss it gently before she removes it. Our eyes lock on each other before our lips desperately collide once again. I can do nothing but kiss back and hold on to the rocks behind me as her hands set a burning trail on my body wherever they roam.

Suddenly I gasp and rip my mouth from Jade's when I feel her brusquely slap my butt.

"Jade!" I cry, feeling an intense blush take over my face, and whether it's from embarrassment or excitement, I don't know.

"What?" She asks, seemingly irritated that I broke our heated kiss.

"What do you mean 'what'?" I demand while she stares at me blankly. "You slapped my _butt_…" I say whispering the last word. Her eyebrows shoot up and she gives me a mischievous grin.

"As fucking tempting as that sounds," she purrs while nipping at my lip. "I did no such thing... Not yet anyway." She leans in to take my lips in hers again but I pull away once more, making her groan in frustration and press her head against my shoulder.

"Yea you did!" I say, a bit annoyed that she's denying it. "I _felt_ you do it!"

"No I didn't Tori…" She grunts. "My right hand has been here," I feel a slight pinch on my lower back. "and my left hand here," another pinch on my neck. "for the past couple of minutes. So there's no way I-"

"There!" I cry when I feel another slap. "You did it again!" She gives me a funny look and my eyes widen when I realize her hands haven't moved at all.

"Maybe we should get out of the water now?" She asks after a moment.

"Yea I think we should." I agree as we both immediately break from our embrace and swim as fast as we can towards the shore.

I collapse onto the grass, completely breathless both from the quick swim and the fear that fueled it and feel Jade drop down next to me, equally breathless as she bursts into laughter. I turn my face to glare at her as she rolls onto her back and continues laughing loudly.

"And what exactly is so funny?" I snap.

"You-You got groped by a _fish_!" she cries between laughs. I gape at her in disbelief for a moment before I throw myself at her, pinning her to the ground and begin tickling her furiously.

"You think it's funny huh?" I growl as I continue assaulting her sides with my fingers. "Oh, I'll give you something to laugh about!"

"Tori!" she yelps while laughing. "Tori, stop it!" She finally manages to grab my hands and pull them away while wrapping her legs around me and inverting our positions. My back hits the ground with a thud while she hovers over me, hair dripping around us as she looks down at me, lips pulled into a playful smile. We stare at each other for a moment, and I lift my hand to gently cup her face. Her eyes flutter shut briefly as she leans into my palm.

"How do you do it?" I ask softly.

"How do I do what?" She asks in confusion.

"This. Me. How do you make me act like this?" A smile grows on her lips as she remembers the time she asked me the same question back in Yerba, when we were in a position very similar to this.

"Like how?" she asks with a grin.

"Like an idiot." I whisper pulling her face down to mine and taking her lips in a gentle kiss. She returns the kiss just as tenderly and brings her body down to rest atop of mine. I can't help but let out a small moan at the feel of her bare skin pressing down completely against mine. She breaks her mouth away momentarily and I feel her release a shaky breath on my lips before claiming them again in a more heated kiss. She places a hand on my hip and the other one tangles itself in my hair as she deepens the kiss. My own arms wrap around her neck to keep her in place, though I doubt she's planning on going anywhere.

Just then I feel her tongue tentatively run over my bottom lip, making me gasp, which she obviously takes as an invitation because next thing I know it's inside my mouth, eliciting a deep moan from both of us as it meets mine for the first time.

I lose sense of time, of my surroundings, of reality… as I get lost in what she's making me feel. In what she's _been _making me feel.

It becomes clear that I can't keep hiding from the truth that's been staring me right in the face this whole time. I can't keep fighting off the feelings that grow day after day inside of me…

And I'm not sure what exactly this makes me, what this makes her, what this makes _us._

But there's one thing I'm certain about...

Something I can't deny anymore.

I am falling for Jade West.

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**AN: Is it normal that I kinda wanna go swimming now? O_O **

**Uh-oh... Things are getting heated up in here! ;) Might have to turn up the rating soon... (So to the reviewer that inquired about that: Patience, my young padwan...)**

**So what'd you guys think?! Lemme know! And yea, I know I had said the chapters would be back to the dual point of views again but I just couldn't cut this one short! Freakin' Tori... Hogging the story. **

**Alright kids, I hope to hear from you guys via a review :D **

**Next chapter coming up soon!**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: OMG! Almost a week without an update! :O I'm sorry... It's been kinda hectic lately, but I'll try to get back on track ok? :)**

**So VicTORIous ends today U_U Which really, really sucks. It's a shame a show like that gets taken off the air while other ones not nearly as good get left on... But I am happy to know that it'll continue living through this site and all the amazing fanfics out there! I hope ****_that_**** doesn't change any time soon. :)**

* * *

**Jade**

My eyes flutter open as the sunlight shines through the window and spills across my face. I blink a few times and stretch out my body as a smile slowly pulls at my lips. I don't even know what the hell I'm smiling about until the memories from last night slowly begin flooding my groggy mind. I bring a hand up to my mouth and tentatively run my fingers over my lips as my smile grows impossibly wider.

_Vega. Tori fucking Vega._

A soft chuckle rattles my chest as I shake my head.

Tori and I had stayed at the waterfall 'til three in the morning. Talking about nonsense, laughing, kissing... Yea mostly kissing. Fuck, just thinking about it makes me feel all tingly and shit. My eyes close as I am once again consumed by the memories.

We had finally decided to head back when the cold night air made our bathing suits cling to our bodies uncomfortably. We snuck into the cabin through the back door and headed upstairs to shower and change; but when I came out of my shower, I had found Tori on her bed with half her body laying on the mattress and her feet still on the ground as I'm sure she tried waiting up for me. I smiled and laid her down properly, throwing a blanket over her body before heading to my own room and collapsing with the same smile I now find myself sporting this morning.

A sudden shift on the mattress startles me, making my eyes snap open. I turn my gaze to the source of the movement and feel all the blood drain from my face down to the tip of my toes.

Lying amidst the crumpled sheets and blankets is a sleeping form. Dark brown hair flowing gracefully over the pillow, tanned skin peeking from under a t-shirt as an equally tanned arm reaches out clumsily until it wraps itself around my waist, and pulls me closer to its owner's warm body.

I feel my breathing escalate and my chest contract as my heart accelerates. Panic rises in my throat as realization hits me like a derailed freight train.

_Beck._

Wrong. Everything feels so fucking wrong.

Ever since my friendship with Tori had started, it had been a completely different part of my life. A secret. An alternate reality of sorts. When I was with her I wouldn't think of anything else, of anyone else. We were in our own world where there was only her and there was only me.

But everything changed last night. The moment I kissed her, that invisible wall I had built around us came crashing down, forcing the worlds to mix. And everything from yesterday that seemed so euphoric and amazing this morning is now nearly driving me to an anxiety attack.

_Holy fucking shit, I kissed her. _

And she kissed back. And it was right. It _felt _so right.

But now… now here I lay, with Beck curled up next to me. With Beck. My _boyfriend. _My breathing quickens even more and I begin to feel lightheaded.

I carefully pry myself from his arms as to not wake him and shakily head to the door. I can't be near him right now. I can't. I need to breathe. I need to clear my mind. I need to think, since I clearly haven't been doing much of that lately. I open the door slowly but just before I can step out and flee like I'm planning on, I see someone coming out of the bathroom across the hallway from me.

Brown hair cascading beautifully around sharp shoulders; sun-kissed skin glowing under a small tank top. Alluring brown eyes search from beneath a thin rimmed glasses frame until they meet mine and pull me into their owner's warm gaze.

I feel my breathing escalate and my chest contract as my heart accelerates. Excitement rises in my body as my stomach explodes into a 4th of July fireworks show.

_Tori._

Perfect. She's so fucking perfect.

She watches me as intently as I'm watching her. A slow warm smile pulling softly on her full lips; the commotion in my stomach intensifying as I remember how those very lips felt against my own.

"Hi." She whispers.

"Hey." I mutter, a small smile of my own inevitably forming.

Suddenly my smile drops and my heart stops when I feel two large, hands gently come around my waist from behind me; warm breath on my skin as a stubbly face buries itself in the crook of my neck and shoulder, mumbling a groggy 'good morning' while pulling my body into his own.

My eyes, which haven't left Tori's go wide as the anxiety again inundates my entire being… paralyzing me completely. I see all the color in her previously flushed face drain as her own smile falters. Her eyes widen and I can already see the same panic from realization that overtook me just a few minutes before take hold of her. Her chest begins rising and dropping quickly as she clumsily stumbles backwards until her back hits the closed bathroom's door with a thud, causing her to drop the toothbrush and toothpaste she'd been holding. Her eyes remain fixed on Beck until she finally drags them to me, only to quickly shut them tight as her breathing once again accelerates. I feel Beck shift from behind me, no doubt already aware of Tori's presence.

"Whoa, Tori you ok?" He asks, his voice filled with genuine concern that drives a sharp pain straight through my chest. Tori, who still keeps her eyes sealed, simply nods her head vigorously.

"Y-yea… I'm fine, I'm fine." She murmurs, voice barely above a whisper. "Just-just got a little dizzy… that's all." She finally opens her eyes, purposefully avoiding mine as she bends down to retrieve her things from the floor. She pushes up her glasses which had slid a bit down in her movement and shoots Beck an immensely awkward smile before scurrying off towards her room, never once looking in my direction. I squeeze my eyes shut as I feel Beck pull me even closer to him and kiss the side of my head.

"That was weird…" He mutters giving me another kiss before walking past me and disappearing into the bathroom where I hear the shower turn on a few seconds later. I remain frozen in place, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. I turn my head towards the room at the end of the hall where Tori disappeared. My legs start moving of their own accord and before I know it I'm bursting through the door, stopping when a wide eyed Tori looks up at me from the bed where she's currently sitting, knees pulled up tightly to her chest, her brown eyes filled with guilt, pain, and confusion. I begin making my way towards her, wanting nothing more than to take her in my arms and hold her tight, to take all those feelings away and hopefully get rid of my own in the process.

"Hi Jade!" a bubbly voice to my left makes me stop dead in my tracks. I turn around and see Cat laying on the bed hugging a stuffed purple giraffe tightly to herself. "I had the _best_ sleep last night! Even though I did get kinda confused when I woke up in the living room alone… But then I came upstairs and saw everyone was already up here sleeping so I decided to take another nap. One time, my brother took a nap on a train but then he woke up in Mexico and didn't know how-"

"Cat!" I snap, she looks at me with wide innocent eyes. "Why don't you go downstairs and start breakfast?"

"Oh yay!" she claps and jumps off the bed. "Can I make breakfast cupcakes?"

"Yea, yea, whatever you want." I say as my eyes once again turn to Tori, who still refuses to meet my gaze.

"Kay kay!" She exclaims running out of the room. Once I hear her bounding down the steps I gently close the door and lean against it with a soft sigh. The room remains completely silent as neither of us speak. Tori keeps her eyes fixed on the bed while I can't seem to look anywhere else but her.

"Tori-"

"I messed up, Jade." She whispers. My eyebrows furrow as I take a step towards the bed, stopping short when she lifts up a hand to keep me from coming closer. "I shouldn't have– I shouldn't have kissed you. It was a mistake and I shouldn't have let it happen." I gape at her in shock.

"You shouldn't have let it happen? What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Tori?" I demand. "You think you were the only one that wanted it? _I _was the one that kissed you. _I _was the one that made the first move." I poke firmly at my chest with every point I make. She shuts her eyes tight and shakes her head. "How could you even dare call this a mistake when yesterday was… was just so fucking perfect?" I mutter, kneeling down in front of her by the bed. She keeps her eyes shut as she lets out a slow shaky breath. "Tori… Tori please tell me yesterday was as perfect for you as it was for me." I take her hand between my own. "Please. _Please_ tell me you don't really think it was a mistake… Please–"

"_You're with Beck!_" She cries out suddenly, springing up from the bed and heading towards the door. But she doesn't leave, she just stands there, her back to me while she runs desperate hands through her hair. "Jade you're… you're with _Beck…_" I feel my chest tighten and my stomach churn at her words. "I was so caught up in this. In our secret. In _you_. That I started confusing reality with the fantasy we created."

"Tori, this _is_ real… you've got to see that-"

"No!" She snaps. "No it isn't Jade. What _is _real is the fact that you have a boyfriend. A boyfriend who loves you, who _you _love. And who just so happens to be one of my closest friends. What you and I have is a secret. A secret that was bound to end sooner or later."

"Tori…"

"Stop it Jade. Just stop it." She says curtly, reaching for the door handle. I feel anger and frustration boiling through my blood and in two quick steps I'm on her. I flip her around before she can open the door and press her up against it. She gasps and shuts her eyes tight, turning away from me.

"Look at me." I growl, my face inches from hers. She remains with her eyes closed but turns her face towards mine, and the pain in my chest worsens when I see a tear slide down her cheek. "Tori, look at me." I say a bit softer, but she doesn't relent; and neither do I. I reach down and take one of her hands, pressing it firmly against my chest. "Feel that." I whisper as I brush my lips over her own, making her breath catch and my heart race. "Feel what you do to me." I take her lower lip between both of mine. "Tell me it's not real." I murmur as my lips continue moving slowly against hers and I feel her tentatively place her free hand on my hip. "Tell me you don't feel it too…" She lets out a small whimper as she finally responds fervently to the kiss. The hand on my hip pulling me closer while the one on my chest slides up around my neck.

But just as quickly as she gave in, she rips her lips away from mine as though they were suddenly lit on fire and pushes me off.

"_No!_" She gasps breathlessly. "No… this is wrong Jade! I-I can't do this." And with that she turns around and disappears out the door, leaving me frozen in the middle of the room staring after her.

I don't know what to think. I don't know what to feel. It's as though I've been drained of every single emotion from my body. Or maybe I'm feeling so many things at once that nothing is making sense anymore. I slowly step back until my legs hit the edge of the bed and I let myself fall back onto it.

_What the fuck am I doing?_

Everything is just happening so fast. A few hours ago everything was so goddamned simple! Everything made sense!

My eyebrows scrunch up as I look at the ceiling.

_Did it? Did everything really make sense then? Were things really that simple?_

When I decided to take Tori to the waterfall to spend some time together, I had in no way thought it would end up like it did. It's not like I had premeditated the whole thing… I hadn't drugged my friends and boyfriend with the sole purpose of sneaking off and ending up in a heavy make out session with her.

God, this is so fucked up.

What does this mean? That I cheated on Beck? That I have feelings for Tori? She definitely makes me feel _something_. But what? What the fuck is it that makes me so crazy about her? That doesn't allow her to leave my mind? That makes me not _want _her to leave my mind?

I've never felt this strongly about anything, much less anyone. I think that's what confuses me the most. That I've never felt this way… not even with Beck.

But I love Beck. I'm _in_ love with Beck… aren't I?

I bring my palms up and press them hard against my eyes. I just want this fucking headache to go away… to go away and take all these fucked up feelings and confusions with it.

I care about Vega, that much I'm sure of. She's just so fucking great. She gets me. She sees something in me that makes me truly believe I'm not the fucked up poor excuse of a human that my parents and people around me sometimes lead me to believe. I love how I feel when I'm around her. Like I truly matter. And don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm one of those emo fucks that mope around thinking nobody loves them and that life is pain and blah, blah, blah. No. Not at all. It's just… I don't know, for most of my life I was content with just a mediocre existence. Mediocre happiness. It wasn't great. But it was enough.

But Tori has shown me that there's so much more to it. To _me._ When as before I used to think that somehow, somewhere, I'd find the purpose of this godforsaken thing we call a life, through her I realized that the purpose of life is to give life a purpose… Jesus fucking Christ I sound like a goddamned fortune cookie. But it's true, and maybe it makes no sense to some, but it changed something in me. It made me want. It made me yearn. It made me long for more.

Ever since the night at the club things had changed. I hadn't understood it at the time, much like I still can't fully understand it now. There was always that special connection with Tori since this whole thing started. Had that led to something else? Or was I just confusing shit up?

Beck has been the only close friend I'd ever had, and our relationship isn't exactly platonic. Maybe I'm so fucked up that I'm not able to distinguish between a friendship and a relationship at all, so I just go and mix everything up.

But this is different. I just can't for the life of me figure out what it is… I meant what I told Tori. It feels real, it feels right, it feels so fucking perfect with her. Last night was just… there are no words. It was as though I finally gave in to a long time desire; which is absolutely nuts since I wasn't aware of even wanting her so much. And now, it's like a veil has been lifted from my eyes. And she's no longer Tori Vega; she's _Tori Vega. _

That makes no fucking sense does it?

It's just… _Goddamn. _

When did she become so beautiful? So unbelievably irresistible? When did her lips become the most desirable fucking lips in the entire planet? And when did I begin to find another girl so extremely attractive?!

I let out a loud groan as I slam my fists down on the bed.

Not only do I have to deal with my relationship with Beck, my feelings for Tori, and what am gonna do about them both, but now lets throw in my sexuality to the goddamn mix.

I get up from the bed with a heavy sigh and make my way to the door. I can't stay and sulk all day now can I? I'll just push this to the back of my mind. Pretend everything is fine and normal. I'm too tired to try to figure all this shit out now.

But of course this turns out to be nearly impossible to do. Tori makes sure to completely avoid me the entire day. Standing and sitting as far away from me as possible at all times; never looking me in the eye or anywhere near me for that matter. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hurt by her evasive behavior. But once I saw how nervous and dodging she was acting with Beck as well I understood.

She was consumed by guilt. Guilt for what we had done last night. And I hated the thought of her regretting it. Of her feeling so badly about it that now she couldn't even bear to look at me. It made the pain I'd been feeling in my chest all day get worse and worse with every second she spent trying to put distance between us.

It was frustrating too. Because as fucked up as this whole situation was, I didn't regret it. I couldn't find it in myself to wish it had never happened. If anything, I couldn't deny the fact that I wanted it so much more now.

To add to my frustration, Beck was being unbelievably nice and loving with me, making me even more fucking confused.

On one side, I wanted nothing more than to succumb to Beck's love… To go back into his arms where things were so simple. So safe. Where I could rely solely on the fact that I knew he loved me. That he wouldn't leave me. That I could call him my own if only for the sake of being able to feel as though something in this life belonged to me. That I have something to claim over everyone else.

But deep inside I felt empty, lost, confused. Because I know that _I_ don't belong to Beck. As much as I've let him in, as much as I've lowered my walls for him, I have never given myself fully to him. I've always held back enough to make sure I remain whole if he ever does leave me. I made sure there would be no part of me that he could take.

"-upstairs by the bed."

I'm brought out of my thoughts by Beck's voice right in front of me. I blink several times and give him a confused look.

"What?" I sputter. He smiles and shakes his head, as he continues seasoning the hamburger patties for the BBQ.

"My sweatshirt." He says. "Would you mind bringing it to me please? It's up in the room on the chair by the bed." I nod and quickly head upstairs. I'm rummaging through Beck's backpack, mumbling something about how boys are so damned messy when I feel someone place their hands on my hips from behind me. I spin around and internally curse at myself for feeling disappointed at the fact that the brown eyes staring back at me don't belong to the person I wish they did.

"You're doing it again…" Beck whispers as he leans over me.

"I'm doing what, Beck?" I grunt as I try to push him away slightly.

"Zoning out. Pushing me away. Quite literally I might add…" He frowns as I slip out of his embrace.

"What are you talking about?" I grumble as I head over to my own bag and pretend to look for something.

"Jade-"

"Those hamburgers aren't gonna cook themselves, Oliver." I throw him his sweater and head to the door. He lets out a huff and takes two quick steps towards me, blocking my path. "What?" I sigh exasperatedly.

"What's going on Jade?" He asks, irritation evident in his voice. "Please just tell me what the hell is going on." I try to glare at him so he'll move and I can just get out of here, but his stare is firm and unwavering.

"Nothing is-"

"Don't you give me that shit, Jade." He growls. My eyes go wide and I have to look away. "How stupid do you think I am? You think I don't see it?" My eyes snap back up to his, panic and fear etched in them as I think that maybe he knows everything. About Tori, about me. I feel my back hit the wall as I subconsciously take a couple of steps away from him.

"Beck… I-I–"

"I tell you that I want to spend time with you. Time _alone _with you. So I suggest that we come up here for the weekend, you know, a little romantic getaway. And what do you do? You go and invite all of our friends." He shakes his head and finally tears his angry gaze away from mine. "It's like you can't stand me anymore…" he says softly. And my heart breaks at how hurt he sounds. He runs his fingers through his hair before turning to me once more. All his anger replaced by uncertainty and fear. "What happened Jade?" he pleads as he walks up to me and takes my hands in his. "What did I do?"

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. All I can do is stare at him as he breaks apart in front of me. For so long I've relied on Beck to keep me sane, to keep me strong, to keep me safe from my parents and myself. And now here I am, pushing him away. Making him believe it's _his _fault that everything is going to shit.

"Beck, please don't think that." I whisper finally as I squeeze his hands in my own. "I love you ok? I'll always love you." And the words feel so sincere and true. I _do _love him. But it's not like I should… not like he deserves. "I just… I-I'm so confused right now and-" I sigh and let go of his hands as I walk away from him to a window and press my forehead against the cold glass. "I just don't know what I want anymore." Neither of us say anything for a while. I continue looking out the window as if the dark treetops and bright stars overhead somehow hold all the answers for me.

"What can I do?" he suddenly asks. "Tell me what I can do to make you love me like you used to. To make you mine again." I flinch at his last statement, as I feel the pang in chest again. But I remain quiet, not daring to tell him that I've never been his to begin with. That I probably never will be. My silence must tell him something. Something he doesn't want to be told. Because his next words sound pained and angry. "I don't know what the fuck happened these past few weeks, Jade. I don't know what made things change between us. But you can't just treat me like shit and blow me off like I'm nothing. Like you suddenly grew bored of me. I'm not a fucking teddy bear that you can dispose of." And with that he spins around and walks out of the room, slamming the door after him.

I stare at the door for what seems like an eternity after he leaves. I press my back against the wall and let my body slide down until it hits the soft plush rug. I feel drained. So fucking emotionally drained that suddenly I'm physically exhausted. I curl up on the small rug below me and close my eyes, needing some form of escape from this nightmare. I feel one lone tear slide down my face as I let myself be consumed completely by darkness.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Jade! Jade, wake up!" My eyes snap open and I shoot into a sitting position on the floor, seeing a wide eyed Robbie watching me worriedly. "Are you ok? Why were you sleeping on the floor?"

"What's it to you, Shapiro?" I snap as I stand up groggily. He immediately takes a step back and looks down nervously at his feet. "How long was I out?"

"Um… I don't know, two hours?"

"_What_?!" He lets out a tiny squeak as he flinches in fear. "Two fucking hours?! And you're just now coming to get me?"

"Well, B-Beck said that you two had fought a-a-and so we didn't wanna bother you!" I roll my eyes and straighten my rumpled clothes. "But then he was really upset and, well… that's kinda why I came to get you." I stop my movements and narrow my eyes at him.

"What do you mean?"

"He was really mad when he came downstairs. We all figured you guys had had an argument or something. I mean, it's kinda not a surprise that-" he trails off when he sees the glare I'm sending him. "Uh… but then he went to the kitchen, and pulled out this bottle of vodka from one of the cabinets." He says with wide eyes. "And he just started drinking straight from the bottle! Then he took out several other bottles of stuff and told us he was getting the party started." I let out a loud sigh as I press my palm against my forehead.

"So now he's shitfaced I'm assuming?" I grumble as I start making my way towards the door.

"Yea… kinda." Robbie murmurs as he follows closely behind me. "But that's not the worst part…" he adds halfway down the stairs. I stop and whirl around to face him.

"Then what the fuck is the prob-"

"_Jadielicious!" _

I freeze.

_You have got... to be fucking… kidding me…_

I turn around slowly and scan the living room . Music is blaring from the stereo in the corner of the room. There are bottles of various liquors scattered around, some nearly full, some halfway full, and some completely empty. A very drunk looking Andre is currently looking into the mirror as he flexes his biceps and makes angry faces at himself while wearing Cat's pink scarf around his forehead like Rambo. Cat is giggling drunkenly while wobbling on a chair she's using to reach a moose's head mounted on the wall as she gives it a full make over. My gaze finally lands on the couch in the middle of the living room and my eyes widen in shock. Tori is sitting on one end of the couch, wide glassy eyes and smile as she looks up at me. Beck is sitting on the other end of the couch facing her, his feet comfortably plopped up on her lap as though they were the best of pals. His hair is tied in a series of ponytails, buns and braids (no doubt Cat's doing) as he too looks over at me through hooded eyes, crooked smile on his lips.

"Did-did you just- did you just call her… _Jadielicious?" _he slurs before he bursts into laughter. Tori looks at him a bit confused before she too starts laughing loudly and clumsily clapping her hands.

"They're all pretty wasted…" I hear the boy behind me sigh.

"No shit." I growl through gritted teeth. "What the fuck happened?"

"Well, at first it was only Beck, but then Tori suddenly went and grabbed one of the bottles, which kinda surprised me 'cause I mean, it's Tori! Although she _has _been acting kinda weird all day so I figured she just wanted to relax? Then Cat and Andre soon followed and well… I thought I should let you know."

"How come _you_ didn't get hammered with them?" I ask turning to him again. He chuckles nervously as he fiddles with his hands.

"I uh… I can't drink alcohol 'cause it… it causes a bad reaction with my ointment. Making me break into hives all over my-"

"Got it." I say turning away from his flushed face.

Suddenly, Cat, who just became aware of my presence, jumps off the chair with a squeal and stumbles over to us.

"Jade! You're here!" She chirps jumping up and down. "Please, please, _please_ let me give you a makeover?" She takes my hand and drags me into the living room. "I gave one to Beck, and I just finished Mr. Moosie, look!"

"I will kill you and dump your body in the lake." I deadpan once she lets go of me. Her wide doe-eyes look at me in slight fear before she suddenly gasps and raises a finger in the air when an idea occurs to her.

"Let's go nighttime lake swimming!" She slurs excitedly, before she takes off towards the door rushing past Andre, where she drags him outside with by grabbing onto the scarf on his head.

"Son of a-" I curse and turn my attention to Robbie. "Grab some towels and go with them to make sure they don't fucking drown." He throws me a worried look and nods his head before rushing into the bathroom to grab the towels and following the two drunken idiots outside. Once the door slams shut and I turn my attention to the other two morons in front of me.

"Jade! I'm so happy you're here!" Tori cheers. "Sit down, sit down! We were just talking about you!" I feel the blood drain from my face as I look at the drunken pair and wonder just what exactly has been said.

"Yea, babe." Beck agrees as he clumsily lifts his legs off the couch and pulls me down by my arm to sit between them, he then plops his feet back up so that his legs are now over both Tori and I's laps. I turn to either side, sending them each death glares that don't seem to faze them at all. "See Tori? See what I was telling you?" I turn my attention to Beck, who is looking at me adoringly. "See how fucking beautiful she is?" My stomach churns, and added to the immense awkwardness of the situation, I'm certain I'm gonna be sick soon.

"Yea I do…" I hear a soft voice whisper next to me. I turn my head and see Tori with her elbow on the couch's backrest, chin resting on her open palm as she looks at me with a dreamy expression. "How can I not?" she breathes as her eyes sweep over my entire face, stopping briefly at my lips, resulting in more chaotic reactions from my stomach.

"It's her nose…" Beck murmurs.

"Her eyes…" Tori whispers.

"Her lips…"

"Her skin…"

"Her hair…"

"Her neck…"

"Her body…"

They both hum in approval at the last one, and I feel myself blush as I squirm uncomfortably in my seat, my neck a bit sore from turning so repeatedly between the two.

_This cannot be happening. _

It all feels like some sort of sick joke. Like, at any moment, a camera crew and tv host are gonna come out from the other room and say it was all an act for a hidden camera show called 'Fucking With Your Emotions'.

"But it's not just that…" Tori sighs returning my attention to her.

"Nope." Beck agrees, shaking his head exaggeratedly.

"It's also the way she bites her lower lip when she finds something really funny but doesn't want to laugh." Tori says with a smile.

"Or the way her nostrils flare when she's really, really mad." Beck adds furrowing his brows and making an angry face.

"How she tends to scratch over her tattoo whenever she's nervous." She says as she begins softly tracing the star tattoo on my forearm, making my skin explode into goose bumps.

"The way she always smells like tropical rain…" Beck sighs as he twirls a lock of my hair loosely in his fingers and then uses them to caress my face lovingly. Tori mumbles something in agreement and brings her head down to rest on my shoulder, slightly pressing her face into me as she inhales.

"How soft and cool she always feels…" she mutters into my skin and my breath catches when I feel her press a tender kiss on my exposed shoulder.

My heart begins beating quickly as a mix of guilt, fear, excitement, confusion, anger, frustration, and need flow through me, making me shut my eyes tight as my breathing becomes labored. With my body between the two, neither can see what the other one is doing. Which just makes everything that much fucking worse.

"The way… the way she smiles when I tell her that I love her…" Beck whispers, making my heart stop and my eyes snap open. Tori's hand on my forearm freezes and I hear her let out a faint gasp by my shoulder. I can feel her breathing come out in heavy spurts as she slowly retracts her hand and pulls away from me. I carefully turn my face to hers but before I can meet her eyes she springs off the couch and heads for the door.

"Tori!" I cry, trying to squeeze out from under Beck's legs.

"Where's she going?" Beck asks confused by the sudden commotion. "Is-is she getting another drink? Tori! Get me one too please!" He chuckles as he scoots his body down on the recently freed couch into a more comfortable position. "Your parents are gonna be sooo pissed we raided their alcohol stash…" He leans his head back and closes his eyes. "Serves them right though… For being such assholes to you."

I run to the door and am able to make out Tori's form stumbling away quickly in the direction of the boathouse by the lake. I hesitate for a bit, looking at Beck on the couch; I can tell he's just seconds away from knocking out. I look back and see Tori's disappear inside the darkened structure, so with one last glance at a now unconscious Beck, I step outside and follow after her.

"Tori!" I call as I push through the wooden door into the boathouse. The only light is that of the moonlight shining through the small skylights on the roof. I look around as my eyes adjust to the limited light and see a small shadow sobbing in the corner. I make my way around the boat swaying gently in the water and kneel down next to Tori. She's sitting on the floor hugging her knees tightly to her chest, her face covered by her long hair as her body shakes softly from her crying. I feel my own throat knot up at the sight, because of my own feelings, because of this whole fucking situation. "Hey…" I coo and use my fingers to gently push some of her locks behind her ear, allowing me to see her face.

"I don't know what to do, Jade." She whimpers as she uses the back of her hand to wipe away the tears. "I don't know what to do."

"Tori I-"

"I care about Beck, Jade… I really do! And the last thing I want is to hurt him." She looks at me with wide eyes. "But I-I can't just pretend like everything's alright… like there's nothing wrong when _everything _is wrong!

"Last night, was just so… so amazing." she whispers with a faint smile. "It was -I don't know- it was like a dream come true. A dream I didn't even know I had… Does that make any sense?" I give her a small smile and nod my head. And I do know… I know exactly what she means. "And then this morning, God, this morning made it all seem so wrong!" She grunts closing her eyes and shaking her head. "And I just can't… I can't stand it, Jade! I can't stand the thought of what I feel for you being wrong. But every time I look at you, I feel it. The guilt. The guilt that comes when I realize I don't regret it. That I don't want to take it back.

"Every time I look at you, all I can think of is how much I want to kiss you again. Of how much I want to hold you, to touch you, to be with you." She lifts her hand and gently caresses my face with it. "Of how much I want you to be mine…" she whispers in such a raw way that makes my heart nearly explode. I lift my hand to take her shaking fingers from my face and bring them to my lips, pressing small soft kisses on every single one. She lets out a soft sigh as she uses her other hand to pull my head down and kisses my forehead gently, while I shut my eyes and feel my own tears slide down.

"But you aren't…" She chokes and I tighten my grip on her hand. "And I know this isn't easy for you either, Jade. I know how important Beck is to you. How much he means to you. How much he loves you and how much you…" she lets out a broken exhale. "-how much you love him…

"I can see it in your eyes, you know?" she says quietly as she runs her fingers through my hair, warm lips still brushing my skin. "I can see how confusing this all is to you…" She moves her head back and looks me in the eye. "I want you to be happy, Jade. That's all I've ever wanted. That's all I'll ever want.

"This is all so new, so sudden. We both need time to understand what exactly this is… what it means. And I can at least speak for myself when I say that I can't focus on anything when you're around me." She chuckles faintly, and I return her smile, still grasping her hand in mine.

"I don't wanna lose you, Tori." I whisper, surprised at how weak and vulnerable my voice sounds.

"And you won't." she quickly assures me as she once again caresses my face. "No matter what happens… You will _never_ lose me."

She then gently takes my hand in hers, and presses the palm to her nose, inhaling deeply as I feel warm tears spill from her shut eyes and onto my fingers. I let out a small broken laugh as I take her hand and return the gesture, keeping it pressed to my face for just a little bit longer.

"Friends forever." She says with a sniffle, giving me a small grin.

"Don't be cheesy." I chastise but smile back.

"Hey, I'm still a little drunk."

"Yea, yea…"

"Everything will be ok…" She whispers after a few seconds of silence. "We'll figure it out. I promise."

And as much as I try to believe her, to trust in her words, I find it is impossible to do.

For I know that in matters of the heart, someone is always bound to get hurt.

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**AN: Hey I just met you! And this is crazy! I hope you liked it! So review maybe!**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: What's up guys! I missed you! Is that weird? O_o **

**Hey so how awesome was the fact that the last VicTORIous episode had so much JORI content?! So much potential for fics! If anyone writes one based on it, please be sure to let me know! :D**

**Alright, on with ****_this _****fic... Enjoy!**

* * *

**Tori**

Three days.

It's been almost three whole days since I've seen or talked to Jade. Well, sixty-one hours and forty-six minutes exactly, but who's counting?

Ever since Yerba, there's never been a day when we haven't talked or communicated in some way or another, so I feel like I'm going through withdrawals or something. Not only because I miss her terribly, which of course I do, but because of the reason why we've been purposefully keeping our distance from one another.

Sixty-one hours and, now forty-_seven_ minutes, and I'm going absolutely insane.

We had left the cabin early on Sunday since Andre needed to return the van we had used to his uncle by nine that morning. This proved to be quite a difficult task since everyone, except for Jade and Robbie, had killer hangovers from the night before. Beck was the worse of us all though… He looked as bad as I felt knowing I was in a way responsible for him being in this state. He didn't seem to recall anything from the night before, and I couldn't help but be relieved by this, which in turn caused me to feel even worse.

Jade had been the first to be dropped off, and she had managed to give me a small hesitant smile and nod unbeknownst to anyone before walking off towards her house; a silent understanding of what we'd talked about the night before, then she was gone.

And we hadn't spoken since. Both she and Beck were absent from school on Monday, and given that today is a holiday, school was out so I hadn't seen her either.

And it's _killing_ me.

It's torture knowing she's with him. That he's probably making her laugh, and smile, and… be all happy. Reminding her of all the things that made her fall for him in the first place. And little by little, he'll start pushing me out of the picture, out of her mind, out of her life…

_Jeez, Tori… Dramatic much?_

Ugh, but I can't help it! A million different scenarios run through my mind every minute that passes without talking to her. I have to keep telling myself that there _is _the possibility that she'll realize she's still in love with Beck and had just confused our close friendship for something else… That that's all it was, a mistake; and if I'm lucky, she'll tell me that she really hopes we can remain friends.

And I'll have to accept it. I'll have to accept it because I want her to be happy. And Beck makes her happy. So I'll be happy for her. But just thinking about it makes my heart feel like it's being torn apart by a giant pair of rusty scissors.

I have to keep fighting the urge to text her, to call her, to run over to her house, break down the door, run up the stairs to her room, kick _that _door in, pull Beck away from her (because I'm certain he's in there with her right now), punch him in that perfect face of his, and give her the best kiss she's ever gotten, putting all previous ones from Beck to shame. And then she'll see… she'll see that she belongs with me.

I press my face into my pillow as my nails claw angrily at the covers on my bed; the bed I've been laying in for the majority of the day torturing myself with my own thoughts. I couldn't do anything else, even if I tried. I've barely eaten anything since Sunday, and even then it was only because my mom forced me to. After finally convincing her that I was sure I'd caught a bug or something during our camping trip and probably just needed to rest, she left me alone, only checking in on me occasionally to make sure I was still breathing. And honestly, even that is becoming more and more difficult to do with the giant pressure I feel on my chest.

These three days without her have made me realize just how deeply she's rooted herself in me. I know I had said that we needed time apart to think, and to try and figure out what the heck was going on between us. But the moment she got off the van on Sunday morning… the moment she gave me that small, uneasy yet beautiful smile… the moment she disappeared into her house… I knew. I knew right then and there what has been true for months now.

I'm…

I lov–

I flip over on the bed and press my balled up my fists roughly into my eyes.

_Don't say it, Tori. Saying it will just make it real and it'll hurt that much more when she doesn't return your feelings._

But nothing can make it less real that it already is. That's like saying the sun will cease to exist if I just believe it will.

It'll always be there, burning incessantly, revolving around the earth… keeping it alive.

What am I gonna do? How am I gonna get through this without her? Even if she says we should remain friends, I don't think I could. I don't think I could put up with seeing her every day, seeing her with _him._ Knowing she'll never be with me like she is with _him._

God, I _hate _him.

I pull the pillow from under my head and cover my face with it, letting out a muffled growl.

No… no, no, no. I don't hate Beck.

It's not his fault. It's not his fault that I can't stop thinking about his girlfriend. It's not his fault I want nothing more than to take her away from him forever. It's not his fault that I want to beat him with a metal baseball bat, cover him in gasoline and flick a lit match –

_Stop it._

A sudden buzzing on my night-side table stops me from ripping my pillow in half. I let out a loud elongated sigh and reach over for my phone, quickly pressing it to my ear, just like I've done the last five times its rung in the past hour.

"Trina, for the last time, I am _not _gonna go downstairs to change the channel on the tv again just because you can't find the _stupid_ remote!" I hiss through gritted teeth while closing my eyes tight and holding the bridge of my nose between my two fingers.

"Again? You mean you actually did it at least once already?" a low voice on the other end of the line snickers, making my eyes snap open, my heart stop and a shiver run down my spine at the mere sound of it.

"Jade…" I breathe sitting up on the bed. I hear her let out a small chuckle that jumpstarts my heart.

"Vega." I remain silent for a few seconds, as my mind registers the notion that it _is_ in fact Jade on the phone and I'm not just hallucinating."How are you?" She asks when she realizes I'm not planning on saying anything.

_Awful. I feel like I'm losing my mind every second that passes without you, your voice, your jokes, your eyes, your touch. I can't even believe I've survived so long without them. Just like I can't believe I am just now realizing how vital to my survival they've become. The fact that you have so much power over my life and are capable of destroying it with one simple word scares me to no end. It kills me to know that there's someone else that cares about you as much as I do. That would do just about anything to keep you, just like I would to have you. And I don't know what I'll do if I can't... _

"Oh, you know… Just dandy." I say with an idiotic chuckle before facepalming myself so hard that I'm certain I'll have a hand print outlined nicely on my forehead.

"_Just dandy_?" She says in a mocking tone as she chuckles again. "God Vega, that response was almost as lame as that idiotic Girly Cow shirt you're wearing." My heart stops yet again and my head snaps towards the window, my breathing quickening as I stare out into the darkness. I clumsily bring my feet down to the carpet and make my way towards it, my heart beating harder and harder with every step. When I finally reach it, I waste no time unlocking the latch and hastily pulling it open. Sure enough, leaning smugly against the large tree trunk, with one hand holding onto a branch and the other one holding the phone to her ear, is Jade. "Took you long enough." She says with a smirk as she steps forward, stuffs her phone in her pocket, and easily hoists herself up through the window. She dusts off her clothes and finally turns her eyes to me, making my stomach do random little somersaults. The corner of her mouth lifts in a small smile as she looks at me. "Hi." She mutters softly.

"Hi…" I mumble, and it's only then that I realize I still have the phone pressed to my ear. I feel myself blush and immediately toss it on the couch next to me. Jade lifts an eyebrow and smirks as she walks over to my bed, grabbing the remote and plopping down on her stomach as she begins flipping through the channels. I stand there uncertainly for a few seconds, not knowing what to do.

Did she really come over after three days just to watch tv? Does she not realize how crazy I've been going?! How watching tv is the absolute _last _thing I wanna do?!

_Ok, ok, ok… maybe she's not ready to talk about it_. _Just give her a minute_. I tell myself while taking a deep breath and sitting on the bed.

_What if she's just trying to postpone the bad news as long as possible? _I sit up straight and feel my blood run cold. _What if she's just not even gonna talk about it at all? What if… what if she's just gonna go back to how we were before and expect me to just go along without questioning it? _

_I can't… I can't do that!_

I look over at her, about to open my mouth and demand to know why she's here and-

"I watched this documentary today." She says before I get a chance to speak. "Some psychological study on how our brain reacts to the different chemicals it releases." I furrow my eyebrows in confusion while she continues looking blankly at the screen. "It said that some chemical reactions can cause your brain to confuse certain feelings for other ones, given that they have similar effects." My heart plummets, and I feel my chest tighten painfully. "Like doing cocaine." She continues, letting out a small flat laugh. "They said that doing cocaine causes the same feelings in your brain as falling in love. Can you believe that shit?" She says with a shake of the head. "And then _this_ bitch says that it is scientifically proven that falling in love takes one fifth of a second! One fifth of a goddamned second! That's faster than we can even fucking blink!" She flips over on her back and looks up at the ceiling, tv completely forgotten in the background.

_What is she doing? Why is she telling me all this? What the hell does it even mean? _

"I honestly think that's a bunch of bullshit." She mumbles. And I feel the beginning of tears swelling up in my eyes, but I remain quiet and frozen in place. "In fact, I _know _it's complete bullshit." She adds firmly. "It doesn't happen instantly. It doesn't just _occur _to you to fall in love with someone. That's just fucking ridiculous." She lets out a slow broken sigh after a few seconds of painful silence. "It does, however, take only a fifth of a second for you to _realize _it. For it to dawn on you that you're completely and helplessly in love and that there's nothing you can do about it." My eyes snap up from the carpet I'm currently staring at to her face. "And you wanna know how I know that?" She whispers turning her eyes to meet mine. But I can't respond. I can't form words as my heart, my mind, my soul, my_ everything_ wait in anticipation. "Because that's how long it took for me to realize why I've been so miserable for the past three days without you…"

I stare at her as her words keep echoing in my head, over and over again, while my mind tries to grasp and comprehend them. She sits up on the bed and runs a hand through her hair before turning back to me.

"I-I broke up with him, Tori." She stutters. "I just got up and told him it was over. Just like that. I didn't even… I didn't even wait for him to say anything. I couldn't! I just couldn't bear to see his face. To see the pain I was causing him..." She trails off and shuts her eyes tight, rubbing her hands roughly down her face. Suddenly she bolts up from the bed and begins pacing the room. "I'm such a bitch. I'm such a _fucking_ bitch!" she growls. "After all he's done… After all he's put up with me... After how much he's loved me without me even deserving it, I just went and-" a painful sob rips the words from her mouth and she presses her back against the wall, leting herself slide down to the ground, as realization of what she did evidently hits her. "-and I just went and walked out on him… Like-like he was nothing." She chokes before she begins crying freely.

That's when I finally snap out of my shock, and in a heartbeat I'm by her side. I pull her into my arms and she grasps onto me desperately, while the sobs continue shaking her body.

"I tried, Tori! I swear I did!" She whimpers into my neck. "But every time he touched me, every time he kissed me or held my hand, whenever he looked at me, all I could think of was _you._" She pulls away slightly to look up at me. "As much as I tried to focus on him, on how it used to be, I couldn't… I just couldn't when deep inside I knew… I _know_ it would never, ever... compare to you." An inexplicable swelling in my chest makes my breath catch as I look down at her wide green eyes. For so long I had focused on the feelings Jade caused in me, that I never stopped to think of just what exactly _I _caused in _her. _And to know she feels as strongly for me as I do for her is just… I fear I'll float away this instant if I let go of her. "I'm so goddamned selfish…" She mutters, as she presses her face into my neck again, bringing me out of my daze.

"You're not selfish, Jade." I whisper into her hair as I press her further into me. "You care about him. You always have and you always will." I feel a few warm tears trickle down my neck and down my shirt. "You're just not in love with him anymore-"

"That's the problem, Tori!" she cries out suddenly, ripping away from my arms and pressing her back against the wall. "I don't think I ever _was_ in love with him! I just- I just stayed with him because it was safe. Because he wanted me to be with him, and well, I had never had anyone who actually _wanted _me around, so I stuck with him. How-how _fucked up_ is that?! I _used _him! I fucking _used_ him all these years!" She brings her knees up to her chest and cradles her face in her hands as she begins crying violently. "I didn't deserve him. I don't deserve half the fucking people I have in my life. And I sure as hell don't deserve you…" She adds softly, and I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces at how raw and broken she sounds. I shift over so that I'm kneeling directly in front of her. I bring my hand around her neck and gently lift her head up to face me.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ think you don't deserve to be happy. To have people in your life that _make _you happy. That care about you, that see everything you are and want, no _need_ you in their lives." I begin softly wiping the tears from her face as she looks at me uncertainly. "You _did _love Beck, Jade." I whisper. "Maybe you weren't in love with him but you did love him. You still do. You didn't use him. You gave him just as much of yourself in return for his friendship, his companionship."

"But I-I broke his heart…" She breathes. "I could see it in his eyes. I hurt him." I take a deep breathe and gently run the back of my hand over her face.

"You would've hurt him more by staying with him, Jade." I mutter. "He needs to learn to let you go. And you staying with him out of guilt would've just made everything worse for both of you. It'll take time. But he'll be ok, and I can guarantee you, he will never, ever regret a single moment with you." I smile softly and wipe away the last of her tears. "Like they say, it's better to have loved and lost tha-"

"-than to never have loved at all… He said that to me before." She says looking off in the distance as the memory comes to her. "About you actually." she adds with a small grin. My eyebrows shoot up as I look at her questioningly. "On the plane, he had heard us talking and saw how shitty I treated you afterwards. So he told me I needed to stop using the lame excuse that I would eventually just lose you to not let you in. I guess I followed his advice a little too well huh?" She chuckles bitterly as she leans her body on mine. I place my arms around her as she curls up into me, resting her head against my chest while I rest mine on top of hers.

"Maybe you need to talk to him, Jade." I tell her softly. "Maybe you need, I don't know, closure or something."

"No." She says firmly. "I can't. Not now. I just- I just wanna stay here. I wanna be with you…" she looks down meekly at our hands before intertwining our fingers together and lifting her face to meet my eyes. We lay like that for several minutes. Her breathing eventually evens out as she calms down. "I-I missed you." she says suddenly. My heart swells and a wide smile pulls at my lips.

"I missed you too." I whisper.

"Yea?" she asks with a smirk while lifting her pierced eyebrow. And my smile gets even wider because I can see the small mischievous spark that is so Jade-like return to her green eyes. I nod and place a soft kiss on her nose, making her wrinkle it adorably. "Now how 'bout you show me how much you missed me by getting me a big cup of joe?" she asks with a wink. I gape at her incredulously while she simply throws me an innocent smile. I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at her as I stand and begin making my way to the door, but just before I get to it, she's standing behind me and grabbing my wrist to pull me around. "On second thought, fuck the coffee." She mutters before her lips are on mine. I barely have time to respond as she's begins walking us backwards to my bed, which she falls into, bringing me down on top of her.

Once I recover from the initial surprise, I quickly fall into the kiss. The kiss I've so desperately been craving for days now. My lips move fervently on hers as I use my hands to cup her face below mine. Her own hands settle on my back as our legs become a tangled mess.

"God… I've been dying… to do this… for so long…" She breathes in-between kisses. I rip my lips from hers only to hungrily attach them to her neck, eliciting a throaty moan from her, which sets my whole body on fire. She tangles one of her hands in my hair and pushes me closer to her, arching her neck to give me better access. I begin kissing and sucking on her skin even more ardently, going as far as nipping it, causing her breath to catch and her grip on my hair to tighten. "_Tori_…" she groans huskily, making me feel all kinds of strange feelings in my body. Her hands find my hips and my breathing begins coming out faster and faster as they slowly begin travelling underneath my shirt, making my chest nearly combust.

And suddenly I'm on my back, and now Jade's lips are on my collarbone, her hands now pushing up on my stomach which tightens under her touch.

"Did you mean it?" I ask breathlessly, my eyes shut tight as her hands roam up my sides.

"Did I mean what?" She mutters hoarsely as she continues pressing kisses across my skin.

"What you said…" I say between grunts. "A-about the documentary…" Her hands and lips freeze as she pushes herself up to look down at me. Both of us breathing heavily as we gaze into each other's eyes.

"Tori?" A worried voice on the other side of the door causes both our heads to snap in its direction. "Tori, sweetheart, are you ok?" I see the doorknob begin to twist and in one swift and surprisingly strong motion I push Jade off the bed to the side furthest from the door.

"_What the f_-" Is all I hear before she hits the floor with a thud. I turn my head back to the door just in time to see my mom stepping into the room, concern etched all over her face.

"Honey? Is everything alright?" She says as she reaches over for the light switch. "I heard some noises and-"

"No!" I yell, making her hand retract quickly. "I-I… the light, it hurts my eyes." I say as I shield my face dramatically.

"Ok. No lights then." She says a bit taken aback by my outburst. "So I take it you're not feeling any better?" she begins making her way over to the bed and sits next to me, bringing her hand to my forehead. "Oh my goodness, Tori! You're burning up!" She exclaims in alert. "You're-you're all sweaty and agitated! Honey, maybe we should go to urgent care so they can get this fever under cont-"

"Mom!" I cry, feeling myself blush even more than I probably already am. "I-I'm fine! I just… I'll just sleep it off!"

"But Tori-"

"Mom I promise! I'm fine… There's no need to go to the hospital. I'll be fine." I try to say as convincingly as possible. She gives me one last worried frown before slowly turning it into a proud smile. I furrow my brows and send her a questioning look.

"My baby's so brave and strong!" she coos, giving my cheek a little pinch. "Just like her daddy!" I give her a crooked smile as she turns to leave, but just before reaching the door she turns back to me with a chuckle. "Remember when you were four and you really_ did_ think you were just like daddy, and would even try to go-"

"_The doctor said it happens to a lot of little kids at that age!"_ I growl while pressing the pillow into my face.

"It was so cute though…" She mumbles, not even fazed by my reaction. "Alright, sweetheart, take some rest now… Goodnight." And with that she finally leaves, closing the door behind her. I let out a loud sigh and turn my attention to the side of the bed I pushed Jade off of. I hesitantly poke my head over the edge just to be grabbed by the collar of my shirt and pulled down hastily to the ground.

"Ouch!" I cry as my body slams into the floor.

"Yea, not so fun being on the receiving end is it?" I hear Jade say next to me. I open my eyes and see her laying casually on the ground, her head resting on the palm of her propped up arm.

"Oh my gosh, Jade! I'm _so_ sorry! I just- my mom- and then she-" I'm cut off by her placing the back of her free hand on my forehead, and then my cheeks, followed by my neck. "Having fun there?" I quip.

"My, Vega… You _are _burning up!" She says with fake concern. "You really are all sweaty and agitated… What on earth could have caused you to be in this state?" I feel my cheeks turn even redder, as I swat her hands off.

"Shut up 'cause you're probably the same." I snap back.

"Nope. _I _don't sweat." She says smugly. I glare at her before I too begin touching her forehead, cheeks and neck. True enough, there's not even a drop of perspiration on her, though her skin _is_ quite warm.

"Whatever." I mumble as I lay back and cross my arms over my chest. She lets out a laugh and pushes herself off so she can hover over me.

"Relax, Vega." She says through chuckles. "It is simply adorable how hot and bothered I make you…"

"Jade!" I cry as I cover my eyes with my hands in embarrassment, to which she just laughs harder.

"I meant it…" she says placing a soft kiss on my arm.

"I know you did!" I groan. "That's what makes it so embarrassing!"

"I wasn't talking about that dork." She mutters with a smile before placing another kiss on my shoulder. I cautiously peek from in-between my fingers and look at her. She gives me another warm smile. "I meant what I said earlier when I told you about the documentary." I remove my hands from my face completely and instead use them to twist the locks of her hair that are cascading around us, as my hearts beats faster and faster. "You've turned me into a goddamned abomination, Vega." I furrow my brows and pout, making her chuckle. "God, it is so utterly ridiculous," she whispers as her eyes sweep over my face, caressing it with her mere gaze. "how fucking in love with you I am…" And then she's kissing me. She's kissing me and I'm sure I've died because everything inside me explodes and I'm suddenly just floating in the air; unable to grasp onto anything other than her. So I kiss her back, because I just can't think of anything else that could be more important than this. Than us. Than _her_.

Suddenly, the warmth of her lips disappears as she pulls away.

"Are you- Tori, are you crying?" she asks. My eyes snap open when I register her words and I quickly bring one of the hands currently grasping her neck to my face, where sure enough, I can feel tiny droplets of moisture.

"I-I…" I look up at her and see confusion as well as slight amusement in her eyes. "I just… I'm- gosh this is just so perfect, Jade. And I can't believe that you're really here and that- that you… that you feel that way and- I was just so afraid! I thought I was gonna lose you for good and… and-_hmph_!"

I'm cut off as she once again crashes her lips to mine, kissing me with even more passion than before. My hands automatically wrapping themselves around her neck to pull her closer. To make sure that this moment is as real as she feels on me.

"I love you..." I whisper in between kisses.

"I know." She mutters. "I know..."

**Jade**

"Grandma, grandma listen to me!" Andre cries into the receiver. "Grandma there is no helicopter stuck in the attic! That's our ceiling fan! Grandma- aaand the line's dead." He deadpans while looking at the screen of his phone before shoving it in his pocket. "One day I'm just gonna pack my things and go somewhere far, far away… I swear it."

"You always say that." Tori chuckles from her seat across from me before plopping a french fry in her mouth. And I can't help but notice how a couple of grains of salt remain on her lips, making me subconsciously lick mine as I wonder how she would taste if I kissed her right now. The tip of her tongue runs slightly over them before they part when she lets out a hearty laugh. And man, does she have a beautiful fucking smile…

My attention is then drawn to the way she purses her lips around the straw of her drink, and the way the muscles in her throat contract as she swallows the liquid. Making me wonder how it would feel if I were to kiss her there right this moment…

Her skin glistens in the sunlight and I feel a slight envy of how tanned and beautiful it is. Whereas I can never get past a semi-dark beige color with mine, she's naturally bronze all year long. What I would give to be able to run my fingers over it now…

A sudden sharp pain on my shin snaps me out of my reverie as my eyes meet Vega's. She sends me a wide eyed glare while quickly shifting her eyes to the rest of the people at the table with us. A blush covers my cheeks at the thought of someone seeing the way I was so obviously ogling Vega. I quickly scan the table and see that Andre is still going on and on about all the fucked up stuff his crazy ass grandma says and does, as Cat listens attentively with the occasional giggle while shoving m&m's into her mouth. Robbie on the other hand is paying way more attention to Cat than to what Andre is saying. Poor kid, he doesn't even stand a chance.

I turn back to her, lifting my eyebrow and smirking at how oblivious everyone is, while she nervously looks back and forth between them and me. Finally satisfied that nobody noticed but her, she turns back to me and sends me a mischievous grin, making my eyebrows shoot up in surprise and confusion. Ridding herself of any readable expression on her face, she goes back to listening to Andre's story while casually reaching over for another french fry. This time, however, she doesn't simply plop it in her mouth, _no sir_… she deliberately takes her time by dragging it across her bottom lip first then delicately holding the tip of it in her teeth before finally biting a piece off. She then slowly runs her tongue over her upper lip in a very… s_ensual?_... way. That's when I notice my mouth is slightly open and my breathing is coming out quicker.

_Whoa, what the fuck is going on? _I blink multiple times and awkwardly clear my throat. I feel like such a fucking pervert with no self control. I turn towards Tori to see if she noticed me blatantly staring at her again, but when my eyes reach her face I see that she's trying to muffle her snickers behind her cup of soda. I furrow my brows questioningly, to which she simply gives me a smug smile accompanied by an equally smug wink before she returns her attention to the conversation taking place next to her. I feel the blood rush to my face as it dawns on me that she was fucking with me on purpose!

_Ohh… So little Tori Vega thinks she's hot shit, huh? Well, two can play that game…_

I discreetly slip my foot out of my low boot and slowly inch my leg over to hers as she goes to take a sip from her cup, idiotic grin still in place. Right when she begins gulping down her drink I ever so slowly run the side of my calf up one of her long, exposed legs, causing her to nearly spit out her soda all over the table.

"Whoa there, Tori!" Andre exclaims as he turns to the coughing girl next him. "You alright there, muchacha? Are my stories really that exciting that you choked?" He jokes.

"Yea, Vega…" I mutter. "What's all the _excitement_ about?" I continue my slow and steady ascent, causing her to cough even more and turn several shades of red darker. Whether it's from the lack of oxygen or my doing, I don't know.

"I-I-" She stutters while trying to send me a threatening glare, but with everyone's eyes on her she can do nothing but turn away and smile while she regains her composure. "I-I'm fine now! Just got a little confused with mah pipes!" she laughs awkwardly and points at her throat. I roll my eyes as everyone goes back to the conversation. She turns and makes a weird face that I'm sure is the universal mom face for _"stop that this very instant or there will be consequences!" _to which I respond with the universal brat face for "_make me." _while now brushing my foot over her thigh, reaching the fabric of her cutoff shorts. I see her breath catch while her eyes widen in panic and she looks around the crowded restaurant.

_Now who's the one with full contro-_

I let out a small gasp when her hands suddenly disappear underneath the table only to make their presence known as they begin running up along the length of my leg, dragging her nails across the material of my thin fishnets. My eyes widen as I look up to meet hers, which are staring back at me with a confident shine. But there's something else beneath it, something that goes beyond our little playful game, something that pulls at my stomach and makes a heat spread throughout my entire body quicker than wildfire. And whatever it is must be reflecting on my eyes because I can tell she feels it too. We both freeze as our chests rise and drop at abnormal paces.

"I gotta go to the bathroom." I mutter while keeping my eyes glued to hers. I quickly retrieve my foot and slip it back into my boot before getting on my feet.

"Y-yea me too…" She mumbles as she also stands.

"Me three!" Both our heads snap towards the redhead skipping happily behind us. Our eyes meet once more before we continue walking. "I love going to the bathroom with friends! It's like a mini sleep over! Oh my God we three should have a slee-"

"_No_." I snap as I push open the wooden door to the bathroom and make my way inside, Tori and Cat following closely behind.

"Phooey…" Cat sulks for a bit as she skips over to the mirror and checks her hair and lipgloss. Tori begins walking past me to one of the stalls but I grab her wrist and pull her back. She looks at me in confusion, while I turn to Cat.

"Cat?"

"Jade?" she tries to imitate my deep tone and bursts into giggles. I roll my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Didn't you have to go pee or something?" I hiss through gritted teeth.

"Oh! I did!" she cries with wide eyes as she saunters over to a stall. "Did you guys know that the Romans used pee in their toothpaste?" She chirps as she locks the stall door. She continues saying something about how it's supposed to whiten your teeth or some random shit that only Cat would know, but I couldn't care less. As soon as she disappears from sight I turn to Tori and press her roughly against the wall, furiously kissing her. A startled gasp is lost in my mouth before she fervidly begins kissing back. Her hands tangle in my hair as my own push her hips against the wall so I can press myself completely against her. Cat's bubbly voice continues floating in the background as my lips ravish Vega's unmercifully. Needing to breathe, I pulled back a bit, but not before taking her bottom lip between my teeth and tugging it, causing Tori to let out the sexiest fucking moan I've ever heard in my entire fucking life.

"Guys? Did you say something?" Cat's voice filters in somewhere in my brain.

"No!" We both call out in unison and immediately resume our previous activities.

"Kay Kay! So then my brother grabbed the toothpaste and shoved some up the-" Once again, Cat's incessant chatter is tuned out as I become lost in the girl in front of me. I rip my lips from hers and place them by her ear.

"You're getting a lot better, you know?" I whisper as I nip lightly at her earlobe. Causing her to grunt and tighten her hold on me.

"At what?" She breathes.

"The art of seduction…" I snicker breathlessly before tilting my head to kiss her neck.

"What can I say?" She gasps. "Great master Jadielicious taught me well." And with that she pulls me back by my hair so she can once again take my lips with hers.

The sound of a flushing toilet causes us to quickly break apart. I walk over to the sink and attempt to fix my tousled hair, while Tori straightens her clothing, our gazes locking through the mirror's reflection as Cat bounces happily out of her stall.

"-had to sign a paper agreeing to never adopt hamsters in the state of Kentucky again…" she says as she begins washing her hands in the sink.

"Fascinating." I deadpan while watching Tori timidly tuck her lower lip between her teeth as she continues straightening out her shirt, making me want to kiss her all over again.

"Hey Jade?" I rip my eyes from her to Cat, who's drying her hands with a couple of paper towels as she looks at me curiously. "What's going on with Beck?" My hands freeze in my hair. "I mean, I figured you guys were fighting since he's been eating lunch with that other group of people all week, but normally after a day or two at most you guys are back to normal, and well, today is the third day and you guys are still not talking. He didn't even come hang out with us tonight like we usually do Fridays! Is everything ok?" she looks at me with concerned eyes and I feel that damned pang of guilt I've been trying to avoid all week.

"We… we broke up." I mutter, looking back into the mirror to continue fixing my hair. Her eyes widen and her mouth forms the shape of an 'o' as she looks up at me. Then her expression turns into one of confusion.

"Are you sure he knows that?" She asks hesitantly.

"What do you mean? Of course he knows we broke up!"

"Well, it's because Robbie asked him today if he was ok, and he told him that you and him had a fight, but that you'd get over it soon and everything would be back to normal…" My eyebrows furrow and I glance quickly at Tori, who looks just as confused as I do. "So maybe you misunderstood? Sometimes I misunderstand things… My dad says I have a short antenna span or something like that. I think it means my antenna doesn't have a wide range so I don't always capture all transmissions properly, you know?" she turns and makes her way out the door. I watch her disappear before turning to Tori.

"I-I don't get it…" I mumble. "I told him. I told him it was over."

"Jade you need to talk to him. He clearly thinks-"

"No." I snap. "I've already told you, Tori. I don't want to talk to him. I can't."

"But Jad-"

"I broke up with him. It's over." I say flatly as I begin making my way to the door before she can say anything else. "He'll get over it. He has to."

And I keep telling myself that over and over, hoping it will make it true… Hoping that by pushing it away, the pain and guilt I feel, will go away with it too.

* * *

**AN: Uh-oh... Yea I don't know what to say.**

**So um, that whole psychology bit, and the Romans and toothpaste thing, were actually true! So see? This story is entertaining AND educational! :D**

**Alright, so I hope you guys are still enjoying the story! Lemme know! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Hi everybody! Look who's already updating just two days after the last chapter?! I'm sure you guys can tell how just busy my weekend was, huh? -_-**

**So a few things: I've changed the rating to M, 'cause well, things are heating up and I don't want to have mothers complaining to me about their scarred children or anything like that so... just a little heads up! ;)**

**And secondly, um... well, i guess it was just that! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Jade**

"Um… Ok, ok, ok! I got one." Tori says as she snaps her fingers. "There was this boy I liked in middle school, his name was Seymour and-"

"Ooh. Sexy." I mutter sarcastically.

"Well, we called him Seimy for short..." she defends.

"Steamy Seimy. Has a lot of potential in the porn industry."

"You want to hear my story or not?" She snaps while swatting my arm.

"Alright, relax!" I snicker. "Go back to what you were doing with my hair though." I mumble while closing my eyes as she continues massaging my head with her fingers.

"You better not fall asleep, Jade." She warns.

"How could I sleep when I'm _dying _to hear about Steamy Seimy's adventures?"

"That's it. Get off." She begins squirming under me as she tries to move away on the bed.

"No, no, no! I'll stop, I'll stop!" I chuckle while grabbing a hold of her wrist. She glares down at me for a moment before she once again leans against the headboard and allows me to lay my head back on her lap.

"So _anyway,_" she continues. "I had been crushing on Seymour for two weeks-"

"Which in middle school terms would be equivalent to several months to a year." I add. My eyes fluttering shut as her hands resume their magical dance across my scalp.

"Right. So of course my friends were telling me to make a move already. So one day during lunch, I headed over to where he was eating with his friends in the middle of the quad and I gave him a little basket with cookies I had spent the entire night before baking, just for him-"

"The typical 1950's housewife's mating call." I add, to which she just scoffs.

"He seemed pleased so I started getting all excited thinking maybe I stood a chance. But suddenly," she sighs. "His eyes went wide and he started grasping his chest and wheezing-"

"What the fuck did you put in those cookies?"

"Peanuts!" She cries. "How was I supposed to know he was allergic?!"

"Could've done your research if you were so into the guy…"

"I-I… who the heck does research on people's allergi-" She stops and looks down at me. I simply shrug and throw her an innocent smile. "Well, that doesn't count! You were out to _kill _me the time with the bush daisies. _Normal _people don't steal other people's medical records ok? So _excuse _me for not knowing Seimy was severely allergic to peanuts!"

"Amateur. So what happened then?"

"His face got super swollen and he started getting a bunch of rashes all over. I was just standing there like an idiot while he almost asphyxiated with my stupid cookies. Finally someone rushed him to the nurse who gave him a shot or something so he could breathe again."

"So that's it?"

"What do you mean 'so that's it'?" she asks incredulously.

"_That's _your most embarrassing story? It sounds to me like it was more embarrassing for Steamy Seimy to blow up like a fucking balloon in front of all his friends and peers than it was for you! I mean, you probably became known as 'that badass girl that makes the killer cookies'. Literally."

"It _was_ embarrassing! I almost _killed _my crush."

"No… You just killed your _chances_ with him."

"Ugh. Whatever… I was still embarrassed." She huffs. "Ok, now you tell me yours."

"No."

"No?"

"I don't let embarrassing things happen to me. So I have nothing to tell."

"Oh that's a load of –" she trails off and looks away angrily, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"A load of _what_, Vega?" I tease.

"Crap."

"No… You were gonna say something else."

"No, I was gonna say crap."

"Say it."

"No."

"I wanna hear you say it."

"No."

"Come on. Say it."

"_No._"

"Please?"

"Nooo."

"Say it, say it, say it, say it, say it, say-"

"_Shit_!" She growls out in frustration, then quickly covers her mouth with her hands as her eyes widen in shock while my eyebrows shoot up. "Oh my God! Look what you made me say!" she groans as she begins to turn red.

"You know what's even more shocking?" I say as I pull her face down while lifting my own to meet her halfway. "How fucking _sexy_ you made that shit sound…" I mutter before slowly pulling on her bottom lip with my own. And I honestly don't think I'll ever grow tired of her taste and the way her lips feel on mine. She lets out a small sigh when I pull away. Her eyes flutter open as a dreamy smile forms on her lips.

"I might just give up being ladylike if this is the consequence of me saying bad words…" She mutters. I lift my pierced brow and look at her challengingly. She grins while her eyes rapidly sweep over my face. "God, you are so freaking beautiful, Jade…" She whispers while using a finger to trace over every feature on my face. I feel my stomach flutter at the absolute sincerity in her voice. The way her eyes seem to caress me with the utmost admiration, making me feel… I don't know. It's not just flattery or an ego boost… it's- fuck, I can't even describe the feeling. Just, fucking _amazing_ in the fact that the girl _I_ find to be the most beautiful being in this goddamned planet is sitting here telling this.

Now I've never been one for sappy shit, but Tori makes me feel things I never even thought would be possible to. Stuff I thought was just shit idiots made up to sell music albums and make movies, but didn't actually exist. But now it's as though all those shitty movies and ridiculous songs actually make _sense._ Like they came to life the minute I realized my feelings for Tori. Every cheesy love song can be related to her. As vomit-inducing as it sounds, I love the fact that everything around me reminds me of her. Like the way the coffee I drink every morning makes me think of her eyes; the way the smell of certain flowers automatically makes my breath catch because it reminds me of her perfume; or how even the other day at the store I spent a full two minutes smiling like a moron at a package of vegan cookies just because the word 'vegan' made me think of her name. Yea. How fucking ridiculous is that, right? But I don't mind. I don't mind at all.

"You're kinda cute too, you know?" I say with a grin. And if _that's_ not the understatement of the century…

"You think I'm cute?" She teases biting her lower lip playfully.

"You have your days…" she lets out a small chuckle as she continues grazing my face with her finger, while I relish in the feeling of her touch.

"Jade?" she says after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Hmm?"

"Are we- are we gay?" she stutters and my eyes snap open.

"What?"

"Well, cause- You know... _You're_ a girl, a-and _I'm _a girl-"

"What the fuck, _you're a girl?!"_

"Jade! I'm serious!" She cries, softly shoving my shoulder. "I mean, haven't you thought about it?" I look up at her for a second, surprised to see how seriously bothered she is by this.

"I don't know, Tori. I really haven't given it much thought I guess…" I say with a shrug while I take her hand in mine. "All I know is that I feel a connection with you that I've never felt with anyone in my entire life; regardless of their gender. I don't necessarily think of you as Tori, a _girl. _You're simply Tori… who just so happens to be a girl." I give her a warm smile and continue caressing her hand but she just frowns and looks down, clearly not satisfied with my answer. "Alright, what is it? Spit it out."

"It's just… I- _Ugh._" She groans and throws her head back against the headboard. "I don't know, Jade! I-I… I've always thought myself to be into boys, you know? I never even _glanced_ at a girl, much less thought about one the way-" she bites her bottom lip and looks away as a pink color tints her cheeks. "-the way I think about you." she mumbles.

"Ooh… Does Little Goody Two-Shoes Vega have naughty thoughts about me?" I tease poking her stomach. She rolls her eyes and gets even redder, but the way she looks nervously at our intertwined hands makes the smile immediately fall from my face. "Holy shit, you do!" I gasp. Her eyes widen as she gapes at me.

"Wha-what! I-I didn't even say-" She sputters, her face turning a very unhealthy dark color. "Oh whatever! Don't act all innocent, _West! _I've seen the way you look at me!" She hisses, narrowing her eyes at me. And now it's my turn to feel the blood rush to my face.

"Oh so now _I'm_ the horny and insatiable beast who just can't keep her hormones in check!" I spit while shooting up into a sitting position.

"H-h-h-_horny_?!" She stutters jumping to the floor and looking down at me.

"H-h-h-hell _yea _horny!" I mock as I too, get up on my feet on the other side of the bed. She gasps and narrows her eyes even more as her nostrils flare.

"Take it _back!_" she yells as she stomps around the bed towards me.

"Take _what_ back? My innocence and purity?" I bark as I jump onto the bed and walk over to the other side to get away from her. "I can't! You take them from me every time you _rape _me with your eyes!"

"Innocence and purity?! _HA!" _she scoffs while putting her hands on her hips. "Those words aren't even in your vocabulary!"

"Uh… _Clearly _they are since I just _used_ them." I say with a smirk as I fold my arms over my chest. She furrows her brows and opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out.

"Oh you know what I mean!" she cries out finally, slamming her balled up fists to her sides.

"Oh, why I'm Tori Vega, the sweetest, most innocent prude in the whole wide world!" I say with the southern belle voice I use to mock her, while prancing around my room and batting my eyelashes. "But don't be fooled, my friend. Oh no! For I am ever the sexual entrepreneur behind closed doors!"

"I don't… _talk like that!" _she hisses. "And w-what the hell does that last bit even mean?!" She begins walking slowly over to where I am, and if we were in a cartoon, I'm certain she'd be spewing steam from her ears. This time I firmly stand my ground as I feel my own anger coursing through my body. "You're just too scared to admit that you want _this_." She states cockily while coming closer and motioning widely to her body.

"Oh is that right?" I jeer with an eye roll as she stops right in front of me.

"That's right." She smirks, crossing her arms smugly.

"Oh, Vega… You're so full of yourself." I mutter indifferently as I begin to walk away. But before I can move far she grabs both my hands, pulls me forward roughly so that the front of my body crashes into hers, and presses my palms firmly to her ass.

My eyes widen and my jaw drops as I look at her in shock. A bit of surprise is reflected on her face before she quickly masks it with confidence.

"Admit it, West." She whispers sensually. "You… want… me…"

Eyes lock. Noses brush. Lips part. Hot breath comes out quicker and quicker with every second that passes.

I'm not even sure who closes the distance first. All I know is that suddenly Tori's in the air wrapping her legs around my hips while I hold her up by grasping her backside tightly. Her arms quickly wrap around my neck as our lips hungrily attack one another. I stumble blindly until her back hits my closed bedroom door with a thud. She lets out a grunt as my body presses her tightly against it. Using the door to hold her up, I drag my hands slowly from her bottom to her thighs around me, causing her to moan into my mouth. The sound making my knees feel incredibly weak. So I lean into her even more to make sure I don't drop her. She rips her lips from mine with a breathy gasp and slams her head back against the door, shutting her eyes tight as her thighs tighten their grip around my waist. It's only then that I realize my movement caused the buckle from the belt I'm wearing to press into her- well… into _her. _Let's just say my knees are now literally two seconds away from giving out completely, so with my last remaining strength I manage to take us both to my bed, collapsing on top of her.

"God, you have no idea what you fucking do to me…" I mumble breathlessly as I press sloppy kisses across her erratic chest.

"If you only knew what you do to _me_…" She breathes as her hands slide down my back making my skin tingle underneath the fabric of my shirt.

"So does this answer your question?" I ask as I suck on her pulse point, making her gasp.

"About us being gay?" she grunts as I now nip at her neck with my teeth.

"Mmhmm."

"Yea…" she mutters before suddenly flipping us over so that she's now straddling me. "We are _so _lesbian right now." And with that, she swiftly pulls her shirt over her head, leaving her in just a pink bra with purple little hearts, and jeans.

"Whoa-" Her lips cut my words off as they once again attach to mine. "You totally took that line from a movie." I pant when her mouth moves to my jaw.

"Doesn't make it any less true, now does it?" she tugs on my shirt for me to remove it.

"Touché." I agree while lifting my uper body slightly so that she may rid me of the unnecessary garment.

Suddenly, the door to my room swings open and my mother walks in dressed in her typical business dress suits. Brown hair up in a bun, eyes glued to the BlackBerry in her hand as she remains completely oblivious to the scene before her.

"Jadelyn, your father cancelled his business meeting at the Hilton and will instead host a dinner here tonight and he expects you to-" she freezes when her eyes finally rise from her phone.

"Oh my God!" Tori gasps as she tumbles off the bed and quickly grabs her shirt from the floor, managing to slip it on after 3 failed attempts. My mom's eyes follow her curiously until they finally move to me. I make absolutely no attempt to cover myself, simply scoot back on the bed so that I may lean against the headrest and cross my arms over my chest as I send her an annoyed glare.

"Knock knock jokes are based on the seemingly long forgotten premise of knocking, you know?" I say flatly.

"Sorry, I didn't think you were… _occupied…_ at the time." She mutters looking back at Tori, who seems to sink lower into the floor behind the bed so that only her eyes are visible. "As I was saying," she continues, as if seeing her teenage daughter fooling around with another girl was nothing out of the ordinary. "Your father will be hosting a dinner here at home tonight. And he expects you to dress presentable, as it is a very important meeting."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" I ask motioning to my black laced bra (which Tori seemed very pleased with by the way) and black leggings. She purses her lips as and lets out a sharp breath through her nose.

"Be ready in one hour, Jadelyn. Your father will be here shortly." She warns, lifting her index finger in the air. She looks in Tori's direction once more, and I swear I see an amused smirk ghost over her lips before she disappears out the door.

"That's just fucking great." I grumble as I let myself fall over on my side. I twist my head to where I can see Vega's wide eyes watching the door. "Hey." I chuckle. "You alright there?" Her eyes shoot over to meet mine, seemingly startled by my voice.

"How could you be so calm, Jade?" She cries. "Y-your mom just walked in on us!"

"Relax, Vega. We weren't even doing anything…"

"Weren't even doing- Jade we were both shirtless!" She splutters while jumping to her feet. "We were shirtless, on your bed. And I-I was _on top_ of you!"

"I know." I smirk. "It's really sexy when you take charge, Tor." I turn on my side and prop my head up on my palm as I send her a wink. She frustratingly pulls at her hair and begins pacing across the room. "Damn Tori, seriously… relax!"

"Your mom probably thinks… She thinks-"

"Doesn't matter what she thinks." I say sitting up to slip my own shirt on. "She didn't even give a shit." Tori gapes at me as I walk over to my closet and step into my boots.

"I-I'm… I should go." She mutters grabbing her bag from the floor.

"Comen on, I'll walk you out."

We pass the living room on our way to the front door and see my mom sitting on the couch while tapping away on her phone.

"Um… B-bye Mrs. West." Vega, ever so polite, squeaks before quickly heading to the door. I roll my eyes and follow after her, hearing my mom mutter a brief 'goodbye'. "God, I'm so embarrassed!" Tori whispers once we're outside. "How am I ever gonna look your mom in the eye again?"

"Why would you want to?" I mutter with a frown.

"I can't believe how calmly you're taking this…" She groans as she begins walking towards her car. I reach and pull her arm to hold her back.

"Because there's absolutely nothing to freak out about." I tell her softly. I use my fingers to tilt her chin up so I can look into her eyes. "They didn't give a shit before, they don't give a shit now, and they're definitely not gonna give a shit any time soon." She lets out a small sigh. "I had fun today." I say with a smirk. "I was having _a lot _of fun right up until my cock blocker of a mother walked in…"

"Oh my God, Jade…" She whines as she tries to pull out of my grasp, but I hold onto her tight.

"Come on, Vega. You were having a hell of a time too." I pull her into me and kiss her lightly on the lips. I lean in again but this time let my lips linger until I feel her grin against them. I smile as well when she begins kissing back.

"You're insane."

"But you still love me." I say causing her to chuckle.

"I do." She giggles before kissing me again. "I really do."

"Ahem."

"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me." I grumble when I see my father watching us from the driveway with his suitcase in hand.

"Your dad is behind us isn't he?" Tori whispers with her eyes shut tight.

"The one and only." I deadpan while he makes his way over to us. "Dad, you remember Tori."

"Friend of yours?"

"Something like that."

"Hi, Mr. West." She mumbles tensely while turning around to meet him. "It's nice to see you again." He simply stares at her with his typical expressionless face. "Well... I-I gotta go. It's getting late and I don't really wanna be driving around in L.A. at this time." She laughs her typical dorky laugh and begins walking backwards towards her car. "You know how it is... With the high crime rates, and the-the reckless drivers and the bad economy… a girl just has to be careful and-"

"I'll call you later, Vega." I snicker.

"Right. Right. Goodnight!" She quickly scrambles into her car and takes off.

"So now you're a lesbian?" My attention is brought back to the man in front of me.

"It would appear so." I say flatly.

"Jade, when are you going to cut the act? This whole thing with the piercings, the tattoos, the dark clothing and now this girl-"

"_Act_?" I cry. "You think everything about me is an _act?"_

"You don't expect me to believe that-"

"I don't expect you to _anything!" _I growl. "You and mom have made it exceptionally clear that I am to never expect anything from you. So you can believe whatever the fuck you want." I spin around and stomp towards the house.

"Jadelyn! Jadelyn, I'm not done talking to you!" I hear him say from behind me as he follows me inside.

"Well I'm done talking to you."

"Jade! Don't talk to your father that way." My mom warns as she emerges from the living room.

"Like I said, I'm _done_ talking." I make my way down the hallway to my room.

"You better not bring this little attitude of yours to the dinner tonight." He calls out.

"Oh don't worry, I won't be attending your precious little dinner. I'm going to Tori's."

"You are not going anywhere, Jade. Your father-"

"Let her." My father says, causing me to freeze and turn around.

"What?" Both my mother and I ask in unison.

"Let her go. Better she get this whole little lesbian phase of hers out of her system now before we-"

"I haven't told her about it." My mom suddenly interjects. They exchange a look and I feel my stomach tighten as I slowly make my way towards them.

"Before we _what?_" I hiss. My father lets out a loud sigh, as though he's really dreading having to give me any explanations because he knows how I'll react, so this can't be good. "Before we fucking _what?!"_

"I got promoted to vice-president at the company." He says simply as if that suddenly explains everything.

"Ok… So you want a goddamn cookie or something?" I snap. "What does this have to do with me?"

"The new position requires that I work in the corporate office."

"Which is in Chicago." My mom adds. I feel all the blood drain from my face as the nasty feeling in my stomach gets even worse.

"S-so what? You'll be… You'll be traveling more or something?" I stutter. "Nothing new there…"

"That's what the dinner is for today, Jadelyn." Dad says curtly. "I'm appointing a new person to take my place here in Los Angeles." I suddenly feel numb and a sharp ringing fills my ears before he even says his next words. "We're moving to Chicago in one month."

**Tori**

_Why the hell won't she pick up? _I toss my cellphone on the bed after getting sent to Jade's voicemail for the fifth time. I just want to know if anything happened with her parents after I left. _God, I still can't believe they saw us! Great first impression, Tori. _Well, I mean, I had technically already met her dad before. But I don't think that really counted. But her mom… Jeez, I really wish I could have at least had a shirt on the first time I met her.

Even though I'm still trying to figure out what that whole 'shirtless' episode was all about… I feel myself blush just thinking about it. What the hell was I thinking? Oh, but that's the problem see? I don't think! Being in close proximity with Jade often makes thinking a very difficult thing to manage… But gosh what the heck would've happened if her mom hadn't interrupted us? Everything just happened so freaking fast! One minute we're simply talking, joking, and enjoying each other's company; then we're fighting about- what the hell was the fight even about?! And suddenly we're all over each other and before we know it we're both shirtless on the bed.

Well, I definitely need to work on my self-control, that's for sure.

The doorbell ringing brings me out of my thoughts and I scrunch up my brows wondering who it could be as I'm not expecting anyone. I make my way downstairs to the darkened living room and open the door, eyebrows shooting up when I see who's standing on the other side.

"Jade?"

She has the hood of her jacket pulled over her head, casting a shadow over her eyes, making only her pursed lips visible.

_Oh no… What happened?_

"Jade what happened? Are you alri-" she shoves past me into the house without uttering a single word. I scrunch up my face as I turn to her, closing the door behind me.

"Your parents," She mutters in a low voice. "they're not home right?"

"No, they took Trina to San Diego for an open casting call they're doing for that Japanese game show, should be back tomorrow. Jade what's wrong? Did something happen with your-"

"They're fucking assholes!" she growls, letting herself drop onto the couch. I quickly make my way over to sit beside her, but as soon as I do, she bolts up and begins pacing the floor. "I don't get it." She mumbles. "Why the fuck I have to put up with people that so clearly don't wanna put up with me." I feel my heart ache within my chest at the way her voice cracks in sadness and frustration. "Why'd they even bother having goddamn offspring in the first place is an even better question." She chuckles bitterly. She stops her pacing and runs a hand over her face, which is still obscured by her hood.

"They-they got mad? Because of… us?" I ask tentatively.

"I wish." She mutters shaking her head. "Fuck..."

"Jade-"

"_Fuck!_" she yells as she begins pacing again. "Why, Tori? Why the hell do things get so fucked right when you're happy with the way they are?"

"I-"

"It's like Life waits for things to start going your way, just to be like, '_surprise bitch_!' when they do, and then fuck it all up." She grumbles quietly. I rise and tentatively head over to her again.

"Jade, please tell me what happened." I ask as I gently place a hand on her shoulder to get her to stand still and face me. She stops her pacing but doesn't turn around.

"We're moving." She says. "We're moving to Chicago by the end of next month." I open my mouth but absolutely nothing comes out as her words seep into my brain.

"You're-you're… _what_?" I finally sputter out. She lets out a long frustrated sigh and rips away from me to begin her pacing again.

"To fucking Chicago! The Windy City, Chi-Town, the City by the fucking Lake." She snaps. "My father got a promotion that requires he work in the main office which is in Illinois, so of course, being the big fat happy family that we are, we're all moving up there!"

"B-but I… you-you _can't!_" I cry, suddenly feeling a bit short of breath and lightheaded.

"I _have to._" She says flatly. "I don't have a fucking choice." I let myself drop back onto the couch as the meaning of what she's telling me begins sinking in.

"But what about- what about… school?" I say weakly, not daring to say what I really want to.

"Ha!" she scoffs. "Like they give a shit about that…" she stops in front of the door and leans exhaustedly against it. Hood still covering her eyes, making her look even more somber than she already sounds.

"I don't want you to go." I choke out as I feel a giant knot form in my throat. I see her hooded head shift slightly, and I know she's looking in my direction. She slowly pushes off the door and walks over to me, cupping my face in her hands before she places a tender kiss on my forehead. "I don't want you to go." I repeat as I feel tears gather in my eyes.

"I… don't want to go either, Tor." She whispers against my skin. "I can't. I don't know how I'll-" she lets out a broken sob and presses her forehead against mine, wrapping her arms tightly around me, as I do the same. "I can't lose you, Tori. Not when I just got you." she murmurs. "I need you so much. Everything is only ok when you're with me. You make everything better." She brushes her lips to mine. "You make me better. I need you, Tori. I need you." And then she's kissing me roughly, desperately. I fall back in surprise as she clumsily climbs on top of me, frantically holding me to her, as though she were afraid that I'll be taken away from her at this very moment. "I won't lose you." She mutters as she kisses me furiously. "I _can't,_ Tori. I just can't."

I try to hold her, to comfort her, to look into her eyes and assure her I'm not going anywhere. But she's so caught up in her desperation that she doesn't allow me to. She pushes me back forcefully when I try to slip my arms around her. "They can't take you away from me." She growls as she kisses and sucks on my neck rabidly, making me gasp in both pain and pleasure. "They can't. You're mine. You're fucking _mine_." And her lips resume their vicious attack. Marking me. Claiming me as hers.

My eyes snap open when I feel shaking hands on the button of my jeans, trembling as slender fingers try to get it undone.

"Jade-" I begin to protest but her thigh suddenly rises and presses firmly between my legs, causing my eyes to shut tightly again and my hips to involuntarily lift off the couch to press into hers as I let out a guttural moan. My entire body writhing in an explosion of pleasure, need, longing, and desire. Her breathing quickens as she continues working on the button.

"Jade… stop." I pant, unconvincingly, making no attempt to stop her myself. I know I should. I know this is wrong. She's caught in an emotional rollercoaster that has her acting purely on primal instinct with all these feelings currently overwhelming her. But my own body is having a hard time listening to my brain, as it too begins giving in to the sensations.

She finally manages to unclasp the button and clumsily feels around for the zipper; finding it and sliding it down quickly. Panic rises as rapidly as the heat I feel all throughout my body.

"Jade... don't." I grunt as I twist and try to look into her eyes to see what is going through her head, what she's feeling, why she's doing this.

But they remain hidden by the dark hood, detached from her, from me. From the reality of what is happening.

_This is wrong, this shouldn't be like this. It shouldn't _feel_ like this._ My breath catches when I feel cool fingers awkwardly splaying across my warm stomach, before slowly dragging down to the top of my underwear.

"Jade, stop." I say more firmly, but she's already slipping her hand underneath them. "Stop!" I cry and somehow manage to grasp her wrist with my hand before she gets any farther. She freezes and her lips detach from my neck with a gasp. I use my other hand to gently remove the hood and bring her face up to mine. "Stop." I say much softer as I meet her green eyes for the first time since she got here.

They stare back at me, wide, scared and confused, as though she just now realized what she was doing. Her mouth is slightly open as her breathing comes out rapidly.

"I-I… Tori, I'm-" she stutters. I quickly caress the side of her face and bring it down to rest on top of my chest.

"Shh… It's ok." I murmur softly into her hair as she brings her hand up and balls up the fabric of my shirt tightly in her fist. Suddenly, everything rushes her, every problem currently troubling her mind seems to fall upon her all at once and she begins crying uncontrollably against me.

"I'm sorry." She sobs. "Tori, I'm so sorry." I feel my own tears forming as I pull her closer to me.

"I'm here, Jade. I'm here." I tell her running my fingers through her hair and holding her tight while the sobs wreck her body. Seconds, minutes or maybe hours seem to pass until the last choked sigh escapes from her, leaving us in silence.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asks softly. "I just don't wanna be alone. I don't want to see them. I-I can't."

"Of course." I press a small kiss on the top of her head as I gently squeeze her hand.

"I don't want to think about it anymore, Tor. I just want to forget everything, at least for tonight. Can we do that please?" she angles her face to look up at me, pleading with her eyes.

"Yea…" I nod. "We can do that." A sad smile appears on her face as she leans in to kiss me tenderly.

"I love you." she whispers against my lips. "I love you so much."

"I know." I breathe. "I know…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"This shit is so fucking scripted." Jade complains before taking a sip from her coffee mug. "Reality tv, my ass."

"How do you know it's not real, Jade?" I argue pointing at the screen. "Were you there? Did you experience it first-hand?"

"I don't have to be there to be able to see, 'first-hand', their shitty acting, ok?" she says as she narrows her eyes at me. I chuckle and shake my head.

"You would be great on that show." I say. "You'd be the dark and mysterious rebel who causes trouble and drama in the mansion, but surprises everyone by making the bachelor fall in love with her at the end."

"That scrawny bag of bones doesn't know the first thing about love!" She cries. "All he bases his 'growing feelings' on is which of those whores gives him the best fucking blowjob." She begins laughing when I almost choke on the chocolate milk I'm drinking. "That's what you get for drinking that baby shit!"

"Hey!" I say as I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "It's good! And it looks super cute coming up my fun twisty straw." She laughs even harder and sets her mug down on the table.

"God, you're lucky you're hot or else you'd be considered a Robbie-level dork."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No need to be insulting now…" I joke while hurling one of the couch's throw pillows at her which, of course, misses her by nearly a foot.

"Imma go pee." She says as she gets up from the couch and stretches. "That Chinese food better be here by the time I get back, 'cause I'm starving." She turns and begins walking away. "Oh and don't you dare fucking flirt with the delivery boy, Vega. Or I'll chop your hair off in your sleep." I laugh and take another sip from my chocolate milk, following the brown liquid as it loops and twists around before reaching my mouth.

Three hours have passed since Jade first came over, and it's been two and a half since we've mentioned anything regarding her parents or Chicago. And though she's back to making her snide remarks and sarcastic comments, I can tell the subject is still as present in her thoughts as it is in mine. I simply choose not to say anything for her sake as I guess she does the same for my own. But there's still that uncertainty floating around us. Fear of not knowing what's gonna happen. Fear that everything won't in fact turn out to be alright as we so ignorantly choose to tell ourselves when things take a bad turn. The thought of Jade moving away is slowly eating away at me. Making everything that has happened seem like a cruel joke.

The doorbell rings, startling me out of my depressing thoughts. I sigh heavily and get up, grabbing the twenty dollar bill from the coffee table to pay for the food before heading to the door. I swing it open with a bright smile, looking forward to being able to forget all the things currently wrong in my life if only for a few delicious minutes.

But, like Jade said earlier, Life can't even let me have _that_.

"B-Beck…" I stutter as my smile fades.

"Hey Tori." He mutters as he brushes past me and walks into the house. I spin around and nervously glance towards the hallway where Jade had disappeared. Seeing as there is no sign of her, my eyes turn back to the boy in front of me.

He looks terrible. His usually perfect hair now messy and disheveled. Dark bags under his bloodshot eyes reflecting his exhaustion. I hadn't seen him for nearly a week, when we had left the cabin, so I have no idea if this is a recent look or if he's been deteriorating little by little since then. Either way, seeing him like this makes me feel as though someone punched me in the stomach.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" I mumble, nervously fidgeting with my fingers. He runs a hand through his unruly hair. His tired face showing nothing but pain and frustration, while I'm almost certain mine shows nothing but fear and guilt.

"I-I… I need your help." He sighs.

_What?_

"What?" I gasp.

"It's about Jade." He says, and my blood runs cold. "She won't return my texts or calls. She avoids me completely at school and I-I just don't know what to do anymore." He groans as he leans against the backrest of the couch. "I have no idea what happened, Tori! We were fine. Everything was fine just a few months ago." I feel like someone is slowly pressing a sharp knife into my chest with every word he says. "I just… I just want to know what happened." He mutters sadly. "I just want to know what I did."

"I-I…"

"You've got to talk to her. Please. She'll tell you."

"Me?" I ask faintly.

"Yea. She really likes you, Tori. I know it doesn't seem like it since she treats you like shit all the time. But that's just her defense mechanism." He says as he looks at me pleadingly. "But she'll talk to you. She'll tell you, and then you can tell me what to do to fix it." He pushes himself off and walks towards me, taking my hand. "You can help me get her back just like you helped her get me back, remember?" A small sad smile appears on his lips and I can't do anything but stare at him, my legs feeling like Jell-O below me and the knife in my chest slowly prodding my heart.

"Happy Family Food Delivery." Both our heads twist towards the open door, where a delivery boy stands holding several bags of food.

"I'll-I'll be right there." I call out weakly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I won't keep you long so you can eat." Beck says as he lets go of my hand and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "I-I just wanted to come by to-to ask if you could please help me out with that…"

"Well, I-I…" I stutter, trying to keep my voice from cracking as I look up at him. "I don't know, Beck-"

"Please, Tori." He pleads. Brown eyes shimmering faintly. "I miss her. I just want to know what I can do to her back."

My throat becomes extremely dry, making it impossible for me to speak, so instead I just nod. He smiles weakly and nods back, before turning around and leaving without another word.

But not before giving the knife in my chest one last painful twist.

* * *

**AN: "****_SURPRISE BITCH!" -Life._**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Hiiiii! Again, sorry for the delayed update. :/ **

**I wanna thank everyone who's reviewed and favorited! I've ****_always _****loved to read your reviews! And I don't know if it was because I accidently took some of my mom's estrogen pills again, but this weeks reviews just absolutely MADE my days! You guys are so freaking fantastic, I wish that I could bake a cake made out of rainbows and smiles and we'd all eat it and be happy! (I'll give five cyberdollars to the person who knows what movie that quote is from) **

**Anywho, it truly does mean a lot to me! This has been the first -anything- that I've ever written in my entire life and I definitely didn't expect you guys to jump on board with it at first! But I'm glad I'm so often proven wrong in life... U_U **

**Also, a couple of people sent me PM's telling me they found this story on Tumblr? I don't have one, nor do I even know what that is exactly :S so a big thanks to whoever put the story out there! Whether it was to bash or recommend it, it brought people here and I'm ever so greatful X) **

**Ok, enough with the word vomit. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Jade**

"You've got to talk to him, Jade." Tori murmurs softly from the passenger seat next to me. I continue looking out the window of my car in silence, watching from the parking lot as people rush in and out of the busy Starbucks. I hear her let out a soft sigh before she speaks again. "What am I supposed to tell him when he asks me if I talked to you? What am I supposed to say when he asks me how he can get you back?"

"And what am _I_ supposed to say, Tori?" I snap turning to face her. "What the fuck am I supposed to tell him? 'I don't _want_ you back, Beck. I don't want you back because I'm in love with the girl I've hated for the past two years.'? Yea, I'm sure everything will be fucking peachy after that." I bring the cup I'm holding to my lips, enjoying the way the hot coffee burns my throat; taking my attention away from the pain in my chest, if only momentarily.

"Well nothing will get better if we just leave it like it is!" she argues. "Jade, you don't have to tell him about us if you don't want to... But you do need to make him understand that it's over between you two. He needs to be able to let you go."

"But it'll hurt him-"

"It already is!" she cries. I rip my gaze from hers and turn back to the window. "Can't you see that every moment that he continues with the mere hope of getting you back is torture for him? Torture because he's not sure if he will, but doesn't want to give up in case he could. It's false hope, Jade. And it's painful. It's painful for all of us." She adds softly. That makes me turn to face her again, eyebrows furrowed. "He's my friend, Jade. And I-I can't stand doing this to him."

"But you're not _doing _anything-"

"I'm lying to him!" She exclaims. "How do you think it felt looking him in the eye and agreeing to help him? Listening to him tell me how much he misses you, how much he wants you back, how confused he is as to what made you leave him, knowing it was _me, _Jade! That _I'm_ the reason you left him and the reason he's so miserable." She sniffles and turns her face away.

"Tori, none of this is your fault. You didn't make me leave him. _I _chose to break up with him, _I _was the one that-"

"Then why do I feel so guilty, Jade? I told you at the cabin, I don't want to feel wrong about us. About what I feel for you." She quickly wipes away the tear running down her face. "But every time I see him I'll feel it. The guilt. The pain. And I can't, Jade. I can't. It's not fair to anyone. It's not fair to you."

"I'm the one that caused this mess." I scoff.

"But he's not the only one losing here." She says. "You're losing _him._ And I know that's not easy on you. He wasn't just your boyfriend, Jade. He was your friend, your confidant, your protector. You can't just push him out of your life and move on like nothing. I mean, you _can_ but would you really want that?" I sigh and look down at the cup in my hands.

I really don't. She's right, I do love Beck. Maybe not in the way I thought I did for so many years, but he does have a special place in my heart. And he probably always will. That's why I've been avoiding him at all costs. I've been selfishly postponing it just so I won't have to see the hurt I caused him.

"We should get going or we'll be late for school." I mumble. Tori remains quiet for a few seconds before eventually nodding. She opens the door so she can go into her own car, which is parked next to mine. "Tori?" She stops and turns around to face me. "I broke up with Beck because I knew that we just weren't meant for each other; never were, never would. It was inevitable and would have happened sooner or later. Falling in love with you just made me realize it quicker than I would have otherwise. But you did absolutely nothing wrong. I need you to understand that." Her eyes bore into mine as my words seep into her brain. And I know Vega is too stubborn and righteous to let anything I say completely rid her of the guilt she feels for Beck's pain, but I can tell my words strike something in her. She climbs back into the car and leans in to capture my lips in a short yet tender kiss. She then presses her forehead against mine and we simply stare into each other's eyes for a moment, small smiles reflecting in them before she pulls away and climbs into her car so we can head to school.

Fuck. I do not feel like dealing with any of this shit today. Or _ever_ for that matter.

I know I have to talk to Beck, because Vega's right. This is hurting all three of us and things will just get worse if it's not resolved.

_Like anything will even matter in a fucking month._

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel as the other thoughts I've been trying to avoid flood my mind. And really, what's the point of worrying over all this if the outcome will still be the same? If I'll still end up losing both Beck and Tori by the end of it all then why the fuck do anything about it? I squeeze my eyes shut as I wait for a traffic light to turn green, feeling the all too familiar sting of unshed tears.

_Don't cry. Don't fucking cry. _

I'm so goddamned tired of crying. That's all I seem to be doing lately. I never even used to cry before! When the hell did I become such an emotional little bitch? I wipe angrily at the tear that managed to escape and press my lips into a thin line, quickly scanning around to make sure no one saw. My eyes land on my rearview mirror and I immediately have the answer to my question.

Tori sits in the driver's seat of the car behind me, gazing distractedly at all the cars and people rushing around us. Her elbow propped up on her open window as she lazily rests her chin on her palm. I see her lips part and her chest rise only to quickly deflate as she lets out a small sigh. I feel my mouth form a small smile as I watch her, the all too familiar swelling in my chest causing my stomach to flutter.

It's her. She causes me to be like this. Not this sobbing mess, I mean. Just… she makes me _feel_. Hell, she makes me feel shit that up until now I didn't even know my dark and bitter heart was capable of feeling. But then she came and brought it to life. Brought _me _to life. Everything that I would often choose to ignore, repress, overlook… she forces me to acknowledge, deal with and face. I should hate her for it… But that's impossible. Because the feelings that only _she _manages to cause in me are included in that mix. It's like a package deal you see? You get the good with the bad. And the good is so fucking amazing that it makes the rest worth it.

As if sensing my eyes on her, she slowly turns her face and meets my gaze through my mirror; a smile slowly pulling at her lips when our eyes lock.

God, how I love that fucking smile.

Some asshole behind us begins honking repeatedly, bringing my attention back to the now green light. I stick my hand out my open window and flip him off before stepping on the gas. I look into my rearview mirror one last time and see Tori shaking her head with a huge grin on her face as she follows after me.

Once at school, she heads inside a minute or so before I do as to not make it seem like we're arriving together. She's standing by her locker, talking to Cat and Andre when I appear and soon enough the bell goes off indicating the start of first period so we all head to our respective classes. Halfway to my Creative Writing class, however, I realize I left my notebook in my locker so I let out a couple of muffled curse words and head back to retrieve it.

"But what did she say?" Beck's voice echoing in the now empty halls makes me stop dead in my tracks as my blood runs cold. It's coming from just around the corner where the lockers are so I stay in place to remain out of sight. "How did she look when you talked? Did-did she look sad? Mad? Does she miss me, Tori?" My stomach tightens when I hear the mention of her name.

"I-I… Beck, can we talk after class please?" Tori pleads nervously. I can hear the panic in her voice, the way it trembles when she speaks just like it did on Saturday evening when he went to her house and I listened from the hallway.

_This can't be fucking happening again._

"No." He says firmly. "No, you talked to her, Tori! Just tell me! Tell me what she said… please!" I flinch slightly at how desperate and forceful he sounds.

"She didn't- I- we-"

"There's someone else isn't there?" He grumbles. I shut my eyes tight and place a hand on the wall to keep myself steady. There's complete silence as I'm sure Tori stands there frozen in place. Beck lets out a small bitter laugh and I hear a thud on the lockers as he leans heavily on them. Everything is quiet other than the sound of my heartbeat drumming in my ears. "Who?" he mumbles.

Silence.

"Who is it?"

"Beck-"

"Goddammit, Tori! _Who is it_?" He growls slamming his fist against one of the lockers.

"Beck!" Both he and Tori snap around to look at me as I suddenly find myself standing right by them. Tori's eyes meet mine, wide and panicked; her lip quivering as her whole body visibly shakes. Beck stands there, gaping at me in surprise and confusion. He doesn't look as run down as Tori had said he did two days ago, but the dark bags under his eyes make him seem absolutely exhausted. "What the fuck are you doing?" I snap, my breathing coming out in low bursts as the anger coursing through my veins from seeing the state he has her in heavily outweighs any feeling of fear and guilt. His eyes shift nervously between Tori, me and his balled up fist still pressed against the locker.

"Jade… I-"

"You want answers." I say flatly, hoping he won't notice the thick knot forming in my throat. "So let's go talk." He stares at me for a few seconds before slowly nodding and picking up his backpack from the floor. "Go to the park down the street and I'll meet you there in a few minutes." He nods once more and walks off into the parking lot, avoiding eye contact with the still startled girl next to him, surely embarrassed by his behavior. Once he disappears out the double doors I turn my attention to Tori, who is slightly trembling. "You alright?" I ask softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nods her head but doesn't say anything. "Fuck, I'm sorry, Tori." I whisper as I pull her forward so I can wrap my arms around her. I feel her tense up, no doubt fearing someone will walk out and see us in this intimate position. But I really couldn't care less if everyone and their fucking mothers saw us right now. I just want to hold her and take away the pain in her eyes, the pain I'm responsible for putting there in the first place. "I'm sorry." I repeat when I feel her shoulders sag as she melts into my embrace; burying her face in the crook of my neck and letting out a low broken sigh. "I'll end this shit today ok?" I press a soft kiss on her temple.

"You'll-you'll be ok?" She mumbles.

"No." I say letting out a small, dry chuckle. "But it still needs to get done so…" I pull back slightly and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll call you later ok?" She nods once more as her arms drop from around me and I begin walking towards the doors. I turn again just before stepping out and see her staring back at me; worry, sadness and fear etched in her features. I send her one last smile as I step out into the bright L.A. sunshine outside; a great contrast to how I'm feeling within.

The drive seems to take an eternity even if in reality it's no more than five minutes. I park and my heart begins hammering in my chest when I see Beck sitting on one of the benches of the nearly empty park. I take a deep breath and climb out of the car.

"Hey." He mutters, his gaze remaining glued to his hands as I sit next to him.

"Hey." I breathe. We both remain quiet for several minutes, not really knowing what to say or how to say it.

"What happened, Jade?" He asks suddenly. His voice sounding so frail, so broken and lost…

"Beck…"

"I just need to know why? What did I do wrong? What did I say? Tell me so I can fix it, please!" He reaches over and takes my hand in his. An action I used to find comfort in, that used to make me feel safe and loved; and now just makes my heart ache.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Beck." I mutter, gently squeezing his hand. "You've been nothing but great with me and I-"

"Then why don't you want me anymore? What changed?" I let out a long sigh and lower my head to look down at our intertwined hands.

"I did…" I tell him softly. "I realized things that… that I didn't know before and-" I let go of his hand and run my fingers through my hair. "It wasn't fair to stay with you, Beck. It-it just wasn't fair-"

"What do you mean 'it wasn't fair' to stay with me?" He questions, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How was it fair for you to leave me?"

"It wasn't fair because I-" I let out an exasperated breath and stand up, taking a few steps away from him. "Because I just- I wasn't… _fuck._" I grunt beginning to pace while he follows my every movement from the bench. Watching me with those sad brown eyes and I just- I can't... I can't do this. I turn my back to him and consider running to my car and taking off, never to look back, never to return. I ball my fists by my sides and my breath catches when my thumb brushes over my index finger, feeling the soft material that's wrapped securely around it. I drag my eyes down to where I can see the small black thread ring Tori had given me. Memories of her begin flooding my mind, like a slideshow of images that cause my heart to swell and my breathing to falter. The warmth filling my body allowing the words to simply flow from my mouth, "I'm not in love with you, Beck."

The words echo over and over again, becoming the only thing I can hear. The fact that I actually said it out loud doesn't even begin to register in my mind until I hear Beck inhale sharply. I turn around and see him staring blankly ahead, his empty eyes unfocused as he slumps on the bench.

"There _is _someone else isn't there?" He says flatly. My eyes drop to the ground and I remain quiet. "Isn't there?"

"Yes."

He lets out a ragged breath as he runs his fingers through his hair.

"Who?" He mutters, voice barely above a whisper. My eyes shoot up to meet his.

"Beck-"

"Who is it, Jade?" he demands.

"Does it really matter-"

"Yes it fucking matters!" he growls as he jumps to his feet. "I want to know who the bastard that took you from me is-"

"Nobody took me from you, Beck."

"You broke up with me Jade!" He roars throwing his arms in the air as he makes his way over to me. "You left me! How else do I put it? You are no longer mine-"

"I never was!"

He freezes. The hard features on his face slowly fading away until there's nothing but visible affliction.

"Beck, I'm-" he closes his eyes and turns away from me, heading once again towards the bench. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-_shit_-I…"

"What were we then, Jade?" he mumbles, dropping down on the wooden seat. "What was I to you?"

"My best friend." I whisper. "You still are, Beck. Everything we had was real. It was love. I _do _love you. Just not like I thought I did. It's just… it's not the kind of love that you want from me." I hesitantly take my seat by him again. "You're an amazing guy. You deserve someone that will-"

"Oh don't you dare give me that whole 'you deserve someone better 'cause I'm not good enough' bullshit." He spits, bolting up to his feet again. "Why do you get to decide who I deserve? Who I deem worthy enough to love?" He turns back to me and lifts his arms in a questioning way. "What is it that makes me so unfit for you? Huh? What the fuck does this guy have that you suddenly decided I wasn't good enough anymore?" I scoff unbelievingly and shake my head.

"You know it's not like that-"

"No!" he shouts, pointing an accusing finger at me. "I _don't _know! I don't know _anything_, Jade! I don't even know how long you've been fucking this asshole behind my back before you finally had the decency to end things with me!" My eyes widen and I feel my entire body tremble in rage.

"That's not true!" I cry as I spring to my feet.

"Oh come on, Jade!" he sneers. "I know how it is with you! You forget how _we _started?" He steps closer and lets out a bitter laugh. "Good old fuck buddies. I guess that's all I ever was to you, huh? Should've known you'd eventually get bored and find a new dick to piss off daddy with-"

His words are cut off by my open palm colliding painfully with his cheek.

"Fuck you." I mutter through gritted teeth, hating the way my lip quivers and my voice cracks. I turn around and begin walking quickly away towards my car, not wanting him to see the tears that are already spilling from my eyes.

"Jade! Jade I'm sorry!" I hear him call from behind me. But I don't stop, if anything I pick up the pace until I reach my door, but just as I go to open it a tanned hand pushes it closed from behind me. "Jade, please." I shut my eyes tight and don't turn around. "I'm sorry, that was wrong… I-I was a complete and utter asshole-"

"Yea you fucking were." I snap turning around and roughly pushing him away from me. "You think this whole thing is only hard on you, Beck? I've been dreading this _for days_ now because of the pain I would no doubt cause you, and you seem to not give two shits about the pain you cause me!" I turn back to the car and go to open the door when he once again pushes it closed. I let out a frustrated sigh and turn back to face him. "What Beck? What?"

"I'm sorry."

"Yea you said that."

"I just… I let my emotions get the best of me, but I didn't mean that and-" He sighs and looks at me. "I can't, Jade. I-I can't. It can't end like this." He whispers shakily, his pleading eyes never leaving mine.

"And yet," I mutter sadly, pulling the car door open and climbing inside. "it is." I look at him one last time before closing the door, starting the car and leaving.

And this time, he doesn't try to stop me.

**Tori**

"Tori, honey, your dinner is getting cold." My dad's voice snaps me out of my daze and I look over at him, brown eyes much like my own watching me carefully. "You feeling ok?"

"Yea I'm just…" I look back down at the cellphone grasped tightly in my hand. "I'm just a bit out of it today, that's all." He sends me another concerned look before continuing with his dinner.

I haven't heard from Jade since she left to talk to Beck this morning. After school was out I sent her a text asking if she was alright but I never got a response. I didn't want to be too overbearing so I left it at that. But honestly, the wait and not knowing what happened is killing me. My damned imagination sure likes to run wild as millions of scenarios cross my mind.

_What if he drugged and kidnapped her?_

_What if he talked her out of the break up?_

_What if they ran away together?_

Oh my God, I really need to stop watching so many movies with impossible plot twists and terrible dramatics.

The sudden vibration in my hand startles me and I quickly glance down to see I got a new text from Jade. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest as I hurry to open it.

**-I'm outside.**

My head jerks towards the closed front door.

"I uh… I'm gonna go for a walk." I say as I get up from the table and take my still full plate to the counter. My mom and dad look up at me in confusion while Trina yells for me to keep my voice down as she can't hear the tv.

"Is everything ok, Tori?" my mom asks.

"Yea, yea! Everything's fine! I just… I need some fresh air that's all." I say shooting them a small smile as I head to the door. "I'll be back in an hour ok?"

"Tori, since you're already there, change the channel to-" I'm out the door before Trina can finish her sentence.

I quickly step out into the small patio around the front entrance, searching for Jade. I'm about to call out her name when I feel two hands slowly slide around my waist and onto my stomach, pulling me back into a warm body. A face buries itself in my hair and my hands instinctively cover the ones on me as I lean back.

"Jade…" I breathe as my eyes close in relief. I hear a muffled sniffle come from where her face is currently pressed to, so I pull away enough to be able to turn around and still remain wrapped in her arms. Her hair covers her face as she hangs her head down and sniffles again. I use my fingers to gently push her black locks to the side so I may look at her. Her eyes remain cast down so I gently tilt her chin up.

"Hey…" I coo, using my other hand to caress her cheek. Her eyes gradually lift to meet mine and my heart twists in pain when I see how red and puffy they are from crying. I cup her face in my hands and press slow, gently kisses all over it while whispering calming words into her skin. She tightens her hold around me as more tears begin to fall.

"I lost him." she sobs quietly. "I lost him, Tori..."

"Just give him time, Jade." I whisper. "He just needs to-"

"No." She says firmly. "He wasn't- he wasn't Beck anymore." Her voice breaks at the end as she begins crying again. "He was just like them, Tori." Her body goes limp as her sobs take over, I carefully guide us down to sit on the grass where I quickly gather her in my arms so she can let go; making sure she knows I'm her to hold her, to keep her together.

Throughout the next couple of minutes she's able to calm down enough to tell me what happened. What was said and how he acted. And as understanding and sympathetic as I want to be towards Beck, I can't help but feel my blood boil in anger at the things he told her.

"I wanted to make things right, Tori. I swear I did." She says softly. Her voice still hoarse from crying. "I thought, maybe after some time, we could even remain friends you know? But when he said that… How could he say he loves me when that's what he thinks of me? When he's no better than them?" She lets out a sigh and presses more into me, her body slightly shivering from the cold night air.

"Let's go inside." I say giving her a little nudge. "I'll make you some coffee." She hesitates at first but eventually shifts away from me to stand up and starts walking towards the front door. I reach out and take her hand before she exits the patio and she turns to face me. "He's hurt, Jade. And I know that doesn't excuse his behavior." I add when I see her about to protest. "It was wrong and he had no right to say what he said to you. But he's hurt. And sometimes when we're in pain we tend to lash out at those we care for the most." She scoffs slightly and looks down at the ground. "He'll come around." I give her hand a slight squeeze. She gives me a sad smile and interlaces our fingers together, pulling me towards the house. Just as we round the corner of the patio I see someone standing by the front door ready to knock, stopping short when we appear. Jade and I freeze in place when we see who it is.

"Hey-" Beck trails off when he sees us. "Tori, I-I just came to apologize to you for this morning and I-" His eyes suddenly narrow as he stares intently at something. Following his line of vision, my heart stops when I see it lands on our still intertwined hands. But instead of letting go, I tighten my grasp and am relieved when Jade does the same.

Beck's eyebrows furrow in confusion as he slowly drags his gaze from our hands to our faces, his eyes rapidly flicking between them. Suddenly the creases on his forehead fade away and his eyes widen in realization, stopping on me.

"It's you." He states quietly. Neither Jade nor I say anything. "It-it's _you._" he repeats with a bit more force as his features once again harden. "It's been you this whole time."

He begins walking towards us with an accusatory finger pointing at me and I step in front of Jade protectively. This seems to startle him, because he stops advancing and glares at us. His breath begins to come out in short bursts while his balled up fists shake by his sides.

"I came to you for help." He growls. "I came to you and asked you to-" he squeezes his eyes shut and runs his hand roughly down his face. Letting out a loud dry laugh he turns his back to us and begins pacing the small porch. "I'm such a fucking idiot. I'm such a _fucking _idiot!"

"Beck-"

"How long?" He cuts me off as he spins around and narrows his eyes in my direction.

"Please calm down-"

"How fucking long, Tori?" He yells, and I feel Jade flinch.

"It's not like that, Beck!"

"So what is this, huh?" He spits. "Some sort of experimental phase? Or did you finally get tired of all your failed relationships that you decided to ruin ours too?" Now it's my turn to flinch at his harsh words.

Jade was right, this isn't Beck.

"Whoa…" We all turn to see my dad standing in the doorway looking at us with concern. "I heard shouting. What's going on?"

"I don't know Mr. Vega." Beck mutters turning his angry gaze to me once more. "You should ask your daughter what's _been_ going on." And with that he brushes past us and disappears down the street.

"Are you girls ok?" he asks. We both nod softly as he ushers us inside. Jade sits on the couch, resting her elbows on her lap as she presses her face into her palms. I'm about to go head to the couch as well when I feel my dad pull my arm and guide me to the kitchen and out of earshot. "Tori, what the hell was all that about?" I sigh and glance at Jade again, who remains unmoving.

"They… they broke up." I say.

"But, what did that have to do with you? Why did Beck say what he said before he left?"

"I… He…" I shut my eyes and run a hand through my hair, taking a deep breath. "He thinks that she broke up with him because of me." His eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"And why would he think that?"

"Because… Because I'm in love with her, and she's in love with me." I say simply, turning my face to look at her once again. And I never thought it would be so easy to say it out loud to someone other than her. But now that I have, I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

The words feel right leaving my mouth. Their meaning rings true in my heart and mind.

"Oh..." My attention is brought back to the man in front of me, a man that I know loves me unconditionally. And that's when I realize who it is that I said it to. An intense blush covers my face as he looks at me in slight shock.

"Dad I… We-she broke up with him as soon as we realized what it was we felt for each other! It's not- she didn't- we didn't-"

"Honey, honey," He pulls me into his arms and I quickly melt into his embrace. "You don't need to explain. I know you. I know you would never do anything to hurt someone you care about. Now as unfortunate as the situation seems to be now, Beck knows that too. Because he knows both you and Jade well."

"No, dad." I interrupt. "He-he was so hurtful, so mean and-"

"You forget that he loves her too." He says caressing my hair with his strong hands. "He's hurting, and he's lashing out at you because he needs someone to blame for his pain. But if he really loves her, he'll eventually learn to let it go and be happy for her, for both of you." He presses a soft kiss on the top of my head and pulls me away so he can look me in the eye. "But you have to give him time." I nod and give him a small smile. "Now, it appears as though that young lady over there needs you. So go on." He says nudging me slightly in the direction of the living room.

"Dad?" I say before leaving. "You're really ok with-you know-with me being-"

"In love? With a girl?" he finishes. "All I've ever wanted is for my two little girls to be happy. Besides," He adds with a mischievous grin. "at least this way I won't have to be worrying about you ending up pregnant or something." All the blood in my body rushes to my face and I find myself wishing a giant hole would open up in the kitchen and swallow me up.

"Oh my God, Dad!" He chuckles and playfully ruffles my hair.

"I love you, Tori. Nothing will ever change that." He pulls me in for one last kiss on the forehead before he disappears into the garage.

How I love that man.

I make my way over to the couch and sit by Jade, rubbing comforting circles across her back.

"I'm so tired of moping, Vega." She mumbles as she sits up straight. "Please, let's just… God, I don't know, let's just go buy a tub of ice cream and eat it all in your room watching movies or some shit."

"So cliché of you, West." I tease. She chuckles tiredly and lets her head fall back on the couch's backrest, twisting it so she can look at me.

"What'd you tell your old man?" she asks while absentmindedly twisting a lock of my hair in her fingers.

"I uh…" I clear my throat and look down at my hands. "I kinda told him about us." Her hand freezes and her eyes widen.

"You what?!"

"Well it just slipped!"

"How the fuck did it _slip_?"

"I accidently told him that I was in love with you!" I sputter. "And-and that you were in love with me too!" She groans and presses her hands to her face. "What? Is it not true?" I demand.

"Well yea but you didn't have to _tell _him!" She argues.

"And why not? He's cool with it! And your parents know too!"

"Yea but my parents don't care and your dad is a _fucking cop!_" she whines.

"_That's_ what you're upset about?" I gape.

"Well _duh!" _she exclaims as if it were obvious. "You think it doesn't scare the shit out of me that my girlfriend's father has a fucking _gun_? Now that he knows, I'll _have _to be nice to you! God, Tori, you could have at least warned me or-… What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Girlfriend?" I say with a wide grin as my heart dances in my chest. Her face suddenly becomes as red as the couch we're sitting on.

"I-I…"

"Did Jade West just refer to me as her… _girlfriend?"_

"Oh…" she laughs nervously. "Is that what I said?"

"Yep."

"Well… I uh… I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to? So what, now you take it back?" I demand.

"No, no, no! I meant to say that-"

"Hmm… I'm not liking this." I say as I get up and head to the garage. "I think I'm gonna tell my daddy how you're treating his little girl."

"Tori, get your ass back here!" She hisses as she quickly follows after me.

"And who are _you_ to tell me and my butt what to do?" I retort.

"Listen to me, Vega-"

"Daaaad… Oh daaaad!"

"Tori stop it!" She cries as she grabs my arm and pins me roughly against the fridge.

"You know, for someone who doesn't want to be my girlfriend you sure can't keep your hands off me…" I smirk.

"I never said I didn't wanna be your girlfriend..." She growls as she nips at my bottom lip, quickly pulling back when I try to deepen the kiss. "I just didn't want it to be like that. I want to do it properly."

"And how is the proper way to do it then?" I say a bit breathlessly as I feel her hands slide under my shirt and her fingers draw random patterns on the skin of my back.

"Trapped between a kitchen appliance and myself, giving you no choice but to agree if you ever want to see the light of day again." She mumbles as she once again pulls on my lip.

"You know, my dad could walk into the room at any moment and see you harassing and threatening his daughter. He would not be very happy about that."

"Then you better hurry the hell up and say yes to keep me from getting shot."

"You haven't asked me anything yet."

"Goddammit, Vega…"

"I'm waiting."

"Ugh, why are you are such a pain?"

"Is that really the question you wanted me to answer?"

"I _would_ like to know-"

"Daaaad-"

"Alright! Alright! Jeez… Tori?"

"Jade?"

"Will you-"

"Will I what?"

"Shut the fuck up and quit interrupting me so I can finish the damn question?"

"Ok shoot."

"Will you… please go steady with me?"

"Go steady?"

"With me?"

"When did this suddenly turn into an episode of The Brady Bunch?"

"Is that a no then?"

"Why won't you just ask me?"

"I just did!"

"Wow… I never thought I'd see the day when Jade West was too scared to-"

"_Goddammit._" She mutters under her breath._ "_Tori Vega, you are now my girlfriend. You got a fucking problem with that?"

"Now _that's _the girl I fell in love with…" I giggle before claiming her lips with mine.

* * *

**AN: Also! Happy Valentines Day! (Two days ago -_-) I just didn't want to let it pass since I consider you all my friends! I don't know if that's sweet or just plain creepy U_U**

**I hope you guys had a better V-day than I did... I spent it trying to politely turn down a drunk guy all night, not having the heart to tell him I was more interested in his sister than I was in him :S **

**Oh... the joys of being in the closet still. Narnia is a lie! T_T **


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: What is up?! So I think I'm gonna enter the field of politics seeing as I'm never able to keep my promises :/ I would bitch and moan about my computer crashing, my iPhone being stolen, and my job actually making me _work_ but you guys probably don't even wanna hear it! Which is totally understandable. I have failed you U_U**

**So I'll just continue with the story. I must warn you though, this is a long ass chapter! I don't know if you guys like long chapters or not, but if you don't, I'd suggest you take a little intermission break in-between and go fix yourself a snack or take a nap before you continue with the rest of the chapter, that way you don't get bored. **

**PS: As always thank you, thank you, thank you for all the awesome reviews! You guys are too cool for school! :P**

* * *

**Jade**

"Throwing a tantrum is not going to solve anything, Jadelyn." My dad mutters as he continues skimming through the paperwork on his desk, not even bothering to look up at me.

"I'm not-" I let out a frustrated grunt as I remind myself that I'm trying to remain calm. "I'm not throwing a tantrum. I'm just trying to tell you the reasons why I want to stay."

"Stay?" He scoffs while highlighting a portion of the document he's working on. "Stay where, Jade? Both your mother and I are leaving, the house has been sold, we have no family in California… Where could you possibly-"

"I'll stay on my own." I say firmly. He stops what he's doing and looks up at me over the rim of his glasses. "I'll be seventeen next month, one more year and I'll be overage anyway. I can get a job, find a place, and finish my last year and a half of school here-"

"You're being serious?" He asks with a chuckle, making my blood boil. _Stay calm, Jade. Stay fucking calm._

"Yes." I say through gritted teeth. "I am." He stares at me for a moment, and my heart skips a beat thinking he's actually considering my proposition.

"Absolutely not." He states flatly as he once again returns his attention to his work.

"What- Why?" I cry. He lets out an exasperated groan as he removes his glasses and rubs his eyes.

"You really expect us to just leave you here by yourself?" He questions. "Your whole life you've had everything you could possibly need and more. You don't know what it's like to support yourself financially while still attending to your studies. What kind of parents would just leave their daughter behind-"

"Oh don't give me that 'loving and attentive parent' bullshit, dad!" I growl, all intentions of remaining calm violently thrown out the window. "You and I both know that the only reason this would pose as a problem would be due to your fear of what your precious friends and business colleagues would say about you for allowing your teenage daughter to stay behind, and not because you actually care about my well-being."

"Jade-"

"This is where I need to be dad." I say in a slightly softer tone. "This is where I can be successful at what I want to dedicate myself to; which is writing and acting in case you forgot." He purses his lips and sits back on his chair tensely. "You're asking me to renounce everything I've worked so hard for. Not only that but I'd be leaving the whole life I've built here behind. All the… all the people that I care for, and that care about me."

"We are your _family_ Jade-"

"Oh dad, for fuck's sake, that is the _last _thing we could possibly call ourselves!" I cry. "You don't care. Mom doesn't care. I don't care. Nobody… fucking…_cares…_" He clenches his jaw and narrows his eyes. "I'm not trying to do the whole guilt trip here, dad. I'm just stating the obvious. Me staying behind and out of your life would probably come as a goddamn blessing to you guys."

"That is enough, Jadelyn." He barks. "We are _all_ leaving in three weeks and that's final."

"Why won't you just-"

"Now, I would suggest you use the remaining time you have wisely." He states with such finality that all my remaining arguments die in my throat. He glares at me one last time before returning to his work, ignoring the fact that I'm still standing in front of him. I feel my stomach churn as my eyes begin to sting so I spin around and storm out of his study without another single word. My vision clouding from the anger and frustration flowing through my body as I make my way through the now nearly empty hallways filled with stacked up cardboard boxes of our belongings, set and ready to be sent off to our new "home".

_Home_… What a fucking joke.

I angrily wipe away the tears on my face, not noticing when my mom steps out of the kitchen, attention fixed on her phone, until I crash into her at full force. Her arms instinctively shoot up to hold onto my own in surprise as I also grasp onto her shirt to steady myself. Her eyes widen in shock as her they land on my startled face. A variety of… I want to say, _emotions… _flash through them as they flicker over my entire face, her hands never releasing their tight grip on me.

It dawns on me then that my mother hasn't seen me cry, or express any form of emotion other than anger and/or indifference for that matter, since I was a small child and did it more out of necessity than anything else. She stares at me with a mix of confusion, astonishment and… concern? Like she's seeing me, _really_ seeing me, for the first time in a long time_._

I remain frozen in place, unable to move as my brain tries to understand what the fuck is happening and why I'm still grasping tightly to the woman in front of me. She feels so soft and warm, which surprises me. I know it sounds stupid but for some reason, I always thought she'd feel hard and cold. Has it really been so long since I've even _touched _her?

It's as though we're both realizing just how real and human the other one is.

"Jade…" Her voice comes out soft and tentative… foreign. Her strong grip on my arms loosens as the normally hard lines on her face soften as well. "What's… what's wrong?" Something inside me trembles at the sound and tone of her voice.

_What in the fucking fuck?_

My eyebrows scrunch in confusion as I quickly scan her face, trying to find the hidden bite in her words. The indifference, resentment, and disappointment they so often carry. But I find nothing. Nothing at all. Which scares me even more.

I push away from her forcefully, causing her arms to fall to her sides as she blinks a couple of times and continues staring at me. I turn away and make my way to the front door, hearing her call out my name behind me.

After driving aimlessly for an hour, completely lost in thought, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket with a new message from Vega.

**_-Hey! Where were u 1st period? Robbie's pants caught on fire so now he's wearing Sikowit's "emergency kilt" :/_**

My lips curl into a smile for the first time all day as I imagine the awkward curly haired nerd walking around in a Scottish skirt. The phone vibrates once again with a second message.

**_-Are you not coming to school today? :( _**

I type in a quick reply as I wait at a red light.

**-I should be there in a bit. (And please for the love of cyber-humiliation, take a pic of Robbie and send it to me)**

-**_Jade… I'm not gonna take a picture of Robbie for u to embarrass him on the web :l_**

I roll my eyes and let out a disappointed sigh as the phone vibrates again.

**_-Not when a video is more effective ;) _**

And right under the message is a short clip of Robbie walking past the lockers, completely oblivious to the fact that a portion of the kilt is tucked into the back of his tighty-whities, while Vega's and Andre's muffled snickers can be heard in the background. I let out a loud, hearty laugh while typing in a reply.

**-That's my girl.**

Twenty minutes later I'm hiding in the empty Black Box Theater peeking out into the busy halls from the slightly opened doors. Finally I see Vega heading my way, grinning idiotically at something on her phone, not even paying attention where she's going. As soon as she passes by the doors I open them just enough to be able to stick my hand out, grab her arm and pull her in without being noticed. She's about to cry out in panic but I quickly place my palm over her mouth to muffle her screams while pressing her roughly against the now closed door. Once she sees it's me she rolls her wide eyes, visibly relaxing, before she scrunches her eyebrows and mumbles something unintelligible into my skin. I smirk and let my hand drop, joining the other one on her waist.

"Really, Jade?" She snaps in disbelief. "You couldn't just _tell _me to meet you here instead of _abducting_ me? You scared the fudge out of me!"

"If I had told you, it wouldn't have been as fun now would it?" I say while cocking my head to the side innocently. She scrunches up her eyebrows indignantly and pouts. I chuckle and slide my hands up her back, bringing myself closer to her. "I missed you." I whisper as I lean in to nip at her lips before taking them into a deeper kiss. Her arms wrap around my neck and she lets out a small agreeing grunt into my mouth.

"What happened?" She murmurs, resting her forehead against mine when we finally break apart. I let out a sigh and close my eyes briefly. "Where were you? Are you ok?"

"I don't really wanna talk about it." I groan. And I really don't. I just wanna forget and pretend this morning never happened. I want to forget how big of an asshole my dad is and… well I don't even know what the fuck that whole deal with my mom was but I want to forget about it too. I want to push all these things as far back in my mind as I can to not have to deal with them, 'cause I honestly don't think I can.

Tori remains quiet for a moment, watching me closely and carefully, no doubt debating whether or not she should press further. Finally, she lets out a small sigh and leans in to peck my lips just as the bell rings signaling the start of the next class.

"Alright, let's go, we're late!" She says and begins pushing off the door only to quickly slam back into it when I press up against her.

"No."

"No? What do you mean no?"

"I mean no, we're not going to class." I say flatly. Her brows rise in confusion as she waits for me to continue. "We're not going to class because _you _are taking me out on a date." I add and wiggle my eyebrows.

"I'm taking you out on a- what right now?" She stutters with wide eyes.

"Mmhmm."

"B-but what about school?" She cries.

"Oh fuck school, Vega." I scoff. "It's Friday, no one does shit here on Fridays. They won't even notice we're not here. Now come on, stop being a pansy and take me out on a date."

"And why am _I _taking _you _out? Why can't you take _me _on a date?" She says with a frown.

"Because I…" I place a small kiss on her nose. "…am a lady." She gapes at me for a few seconds in shock.

"Wha- you- who- we- … _so am I!" _I roll my eyes.

"Well _someone_ has to be the man in this relationship…" I say while twisting a lock of her hair in my finger.

"That's- no! We're _both_ girls! That's kinda the point of being gay, you know?"

"Ugh. Fine, Vega. _I'll _be the man." I say in a bored tone as I push back and head to the stage where I left my things. "I was just trying to be nice and let you live out one of your long time dreams."

"Oh my God…"

"Come on, baby." I say in a deep manly voice as I walk backwards toward the door that leads outside. "I'll dine you, I'll wine you, and if you're a good girl, I'll even introduce you to Captain Crunch here." I motion to my crotch and send her a suggestive wink. She turns three shades darker and covers her face with her hands with a groan.

"I've got an idea." She says suddenly, bright smile on her face. "What if we _both _take each other on a date? At the same time!" I look at her in confusion as I put on my coat.

"How the hell would that work?"

"Well, we could work together, you know? We'll swing by the store and I'll pick up some special food I can put together, and you pick a nice romantic place you want us to go to! It's perfect! Fifty fifty!" She cheers and claps excitedly. I chuckle and shake my head but don't object.

We sneak out the back and make it to my car without being spotted by anyone since most people are in class anyway. We stop by a supermarket and Vega insists I stay in the car while she gets the food supplies so that I may be surprised. So while she goes and buys God knows what, I sit in the car and rack my brain thinking of "romantic" places we could go to. She returns with three full grocery bags a few minutes later and slaps my hands away when I try to take a peek. I give her an icy glare to which she just smiles and cheerfully asks where we're going. An idea pops into my head and I tell her she'll just have to wait and see, since it too is a surprise. She sticks her tongue out at me and surprises me by not asking any further questions.

We make a quick stop by my house, since I know no one's home at this time, so I can gather a few supplies of my own. I return with a large duffel bag which she eyes curiously but again shocks me by not inquiring as to what's inside. Once we're nearing our destination, I have her close her eyes until I park the car and lead her outside.

"Ok, you can open them now." She squeals in excitement as she does, just for her smile to drop immediately when she takes in the sight in front of her.

"What is this?" She frowns.

"A house." I say as I grab the duffel bag, lock the car, and begin walking towards the building.

"We're breaking into a house?"

"It's abandoned."

"We're breaking into an _abandoned _house?"

"It's haunted."

"We're breaking into a- _it's what?" _I hear the plastic bags in her hands bounce as she runs to catch up to me. "D-did you say it's-"

"Haunted? Yes." I walk around the large, old structure and head to the back where I know the door latch is broken and we can sneak inside.

"Haunted as in with ghosts and stuff?" She squeaks.

"Well, I don't know exactly what it is, but judging by the gruesome police reports of the deaths that have occurred here I'm guessing there's definitely _something_." I grunt as I push on the heavy wooden door until it creaks open. Tori gasps and remains frozen as I make my way inside. "Well come on then!" I cry motioning for her to follow me.

"I-I-" I groan and roll my eyes.

"You said I could pick the place for our date, Vega. This is what I picked. Now get moving." She hesitates a second or so before finally sighing and following closely behind me.

Everything is dark, old and dusty. Just how you would expect the typical abandoned, haunted house to look like. Creepy shadows dance around as we cross the dark living room and head to the stairs. The wooden floorboards beneath us creak with every step we take.

"I still don't understand why you would think bringing me to a haunted house on our first date would be a good idea." She whispers as we reach the top of the stairs.

"Vega, it's eleven in the morning!" I chuckle, while heading down the hall. "Besides," I say with a smug grin. "you're with me, I'll take care of you." I push open a door that leads to a wide, dark, empty room. After I set down the things, I head to the far side of the room and remove the pieces of plywood that are covering the windows to allow more light in.

"Well, I doubt even you have a chance against evil entities and-" She trails off as she takes in the view before her. "Wow…" She gives a few cautious steps towards the window in awe.

The house sits on a hill bordering the Angeles National Forest, and this specific room has the best view in the house. I step up from behind her and slide my hands around her waist, gently pulling her back into me as I press a small kiss on her shoulder before placing my chin on it. Her hands cover my own as she rests her head against the side of mine. "Ok, this is pretty cool…" She says with a smile.

"You wanna know something even cooler?" I whisper as I tilt my head and begin pressing slow sensual kisses up her neck. Her eyes flutter shut and she lets out a low shaky breath, leaning her head back on my shoulder.

"Yea?" She breathes, her grip on my hand tightening.

"That beautiful valley over there," I slip my other hand under her shirt and drag it slowly up her taut stomach, feeling her skin burst into goose bumps as I do so. "with all the beautiful trees and pretty flowers," I nip her earlobe causing her to shiver. "that's where they found the bodies." I whisper before tearing myself away to begin rifling through my large bag.

"I hate you." She mutters after a few seconds of gaping at me in disbelief.

"Oh on the contrary," I smirk pulling out a couple of blankets from my bag and laying them in the middle of the room. "Judging by the effect I was having on you a few seconds ago, I'd say you're actually quite fond of me." She scoffs and stomps over to where the grocery bags are.

While she works on the food, constantly mumbling under her breath about how much of a gank I am and how it suddenly got so hot and stuffy in here, I continue setting up. I pull out my Pear Pod and set it on my favorite playlist before hooking it up to a small battery powered amplifier and placing them on the ground. Then I pull out a large container of table salt, and pour some onto the floor in the shape of a circle around us.

"Um… what're you doing?" Tori asks as I close out the circle and put the salt back in my bag.

"Don't worry about it." I mutter, plopping down on the blankets. "Just make sure you stay inside the circle at all times and you'll be fine." I cross my arms behind my head and lean back. I hear her gasp and quickly grab her purse by the door to bring it inside our salt barrier. I have to bite my tongue to keep from bursting into laughter.

The truth is that this house isn't haunted nor has there ever been any bodies found in the valley behind it. The only police reports that were ever filed consisted of bad plumbing beneath the foundation which caused the house to flood in 1998, and it hasn't been inhabited since. Some legality kept the bank, or anyone for that matter, from being able to purchase it, so here it stands, completely abandoned and unkempt. I happened to stumbled upon it once when my stupid GPS send me down the wrong road and it just looked so mysterious and enticing that I had to explore.

So why am I torturing Vega with this whole made up story, going as far as witch proofing the room?

'Cause it's fucking hilarious.

"I'm done with the food!" she exclaims with a wide smile.

"Yay." I deadpan and I sit up. She frowns and drops down next to me handing me a plate of pasta salad with vegetables and cut up chicken. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "How did you know I like chicken pasta salad?"

"You mean how did I know it's your absolute _favorite_ kind of salad?" She boasts while straightening up and smiling smugly. "You're not the only one that does her research." She adds with a wink.

We slip into comfortable conversation and usual bantering while we eat, though I notice her constantly looking around all panicky whenever she hears a noise.

Man, she's so fucking cute when she's scared… I think that's why I love to freak her out so much.

God, I'm a sick and twisted bitch aren't I?

"I brought dessert too!" She cries excitedly after putting down her empty plate. "Hand me that bag over there please."

I reach over to pull the plastic bag over but the handle rips causing some of the contents to spill out.

"Oooh… _Vega._"I drawl playfully as I pick up a can of whip cream from the floor. "I'm suddenly _extremely_ interested to find out what exactly you meant by 'dessert'." I bite my lip seductively and wink at her. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens as her face turns bright red.

"Oh my God, no! I-I didn't- it's not for- I brought _strawberries!" _she cries snatching the can from me.

"Mmmm… even better." I purr as I pull the container of fruit from the bag, never breaking eye contact with her. She groans and presses her face into the blankets beneath her while I chuckle and place the small box by her side. "Come on then, I'm waiting." She lifts her face and looks at me warily. I lean back on my elbows, open my mouth and point at the strawberries with my eyes. A slow grin appears on her still flushed face as she takes one of them in her hands. I then motion to the can of whip cream, making sure to send her another wink. She rolls her eyes but continues smiling as she opens the container and carefully sprays some whipped creamy goodness on the fruit before bringing it close to my mouth, but right as I'm about to take a bite she pulls it away. I look up at her in confusion while she lifts a smug eyebrow and plops the strawberry into her own mouth leaving only the leaf caught in her fingers.

"Oh so _that's _how it is…" I chuckle pushing myself up while she giggles. "Fine." I grab one of the strawberries, remove the leaf, throw it up in the air and catch it in my mouth. I smirk and look at her proudly.

"Impressive." She says with a smile. "But you forgot something."

"What?" I say through a mouthful.

"This." She lifts the whip cream bottle and sprays a little on my mouth. But before I can react or say anything she's pushing me onto my back and her lips are on mine. My eyes flutter shut as I lose myself in the amazing fucking taste that is strawberries, whip cream and Tori.

"Well we can't forget that…" I mumble breathlessly when she breaks the kiss. She chuckles softly while gazing dreamily into my eyes. "I think you missed a spot though."

"Oh yea?" she asks while brushing her lips to mine. "Where?"

"Here." I tell her as I spray my neck, jaw and lips. She throws her head back in a hearty laugh. I smile like an idiot as I lay there covered in sticky cream, completely mesmerized by the sound emitting from her throat.

"I think I can assist you with that…" she says with a smile as her eyes lock with mine. And then she's on my neck. Licking, sucking, and nipping slowly over every inch of skin that's covered in whip cream. My eyes automatically shut as a low moan escapes my lips. She throws her leg over my waist and pulls herself forward so that she's now straddling me. My hands immediately find her hips to hold her in place as her own hands travel slowly up my sides while her lips continue their ascend to my jaw.

"You totally planned this whip cream thing." I pant; my breath catching when her lips suck on my pulse point.

"Maybe…" She mumbles before pulling my bottom lip with her teeth. I tangle my hands into her hair and begin ardently kissing back.

"Well, it's not fair you get to have _all _the fun." I mutter and flip us around so that now she's trapped below me. I reach over for the bottle and spray an ample amount of whip cream on an empty plate beside us. I take a dab of it with my finger and smear it all over her face, making her giggle before I lean down and begin cleaning her off. I take my time allowing my mouth the liberty to travel slowly across her skin. Relishing in her taste and the feel of her body writhing below me. I drag my hands down to her hips, and slip them under her shirt, lifting the garment as my hands travel upward. She gasps and her eyes snap open, gazing intently into mine while her rapid breathing increases. My lips curl into a mischievous smile as I reach over and once again use my finger to apply a generous amount of whip cream over her recently exposed stomach. Her eyes flutter slightly as I drag it across her skin. Once I'm done, I bring my finger to my mouth to clean off the excess cream but she reaches out and stops my wrist midair; never breaking eye contact, she lowers my hand until it's right in front of her face, where she takes my finger into her own mouth, wraps her full lips around it and sucks it clean.

_Jesus fucking Christ._

My whole body bursts in fire as I dive down and ravish her stomach. Hell, I think I even growled a little.

She lets out a muffled moan as she presses her fist to her mouth. My lips burn as I press sloppy, wet kisses all over her hot skin. Tasting, feeling, consuming her whole. My hands press up and around the curve of her breasts making her gasp and moan louder. And I swear I almost come right then and there.

A loud thump and crash coming from the hallway makes us freeze.

"Oh my God what was that?" Tori whispers breathlessly while shooting up into a sitting position.

"I-I don't know…" I mutter equally winded. Another crash makes her jump up and grasp tightly onto me. "I'll go check." I stand up and make my way over to the door.

"No, Jade!" She hisses trying to pull me back. "Don't step out of the circle!"

If it wasn't because of the current situation I would've probably laughed my ass off at her comment. As it is, I'm more interested in finding out what the fuck is making that noise. Maybe I got lucky and the house really _is_ haunted. A wide smile adorns my lips as I yank the door open just for it to be immediately wiped off.

"Oh… it's just two old homeless dudes." I deadpan.

"_What?_" Tori cries.

"Uh… Hi there miss." One of the two men dressed in dirty tethered clothing says, as he removes his worn baseball cap from his head. "Don't mind me and ole Carl here. We just passin' through on to our rooms. Ain't we Carl?" He nudges the other man next to him who keeps his gaze glued to the ground and simply nods. That's when I notice the broken wooden chair on the floor.

"You two pervs were trying to watch us getting it on through the little window above the door weren't you?" I demand crossing my arms over my chest.

"No! No, no, no miss…" Baseball Cap stutters. "Me and Carl would never do that! Ain't that right Carl?" Carl furiously shakes his head. "We was coming home from church and-"

"Oh save it…" I grumble as I turn back to the room joining Tori, whose face puts a tomato's color to shame, in putting away our things. "Show's over pal."

"Would you… would you spare us the food you got there, miss?" _The nerve of this fucking man. _But before I can open my mouth to tell him where he can shove his dirty baseball cap, Tori walks up to them and presses the grocery bags filled with the food into their arms.

"Here you go." She squeaks before quickly making her way down the hall.

"Oh thank you, miss!" Baseball Cap calls out as he quickly tears through the things. I finish stuffing the last blanket into my bag before walking up to the men by the door.

"Sorry, Carl." I smirk as I pull the can of whip cream out of the bag he's holding. "But Imma have to take this."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Oh my God, I still can't believe that actually happened!" Tori cries between laughs as she climbs out of my car.

"We have the worst fucking luck." I mumble making my way up the Vega's driveway. She laughs even harder when she sees my frown.

"Oh Jade, don't be such a sourpuss!" she chuckles while linking her arm with mine.

"I have every right to be a sourpuss!" I groan.

"Well I had a _great_ time. Best date ever." She leans back against her front door and pulls me forward.

"Yea?" I grin, leaning my body against hers.

"Yea." She whispers before nipping my lip.

"Even though we got cock-blocked for like the millionth time?"

"You know, you keep saying that when neither of us have one of those to be blocked."

"That's not what I've heard…"

"Jade…"

"Tori…"

"I really did have fun." She says while playing with a lock of my hair. "Throughout the _entire_ date."

"Yea I guess it wasn't that bad…" I mutter to which she slaps my arm playfully.

"Hey we're still going to Sinjin's Halloween party later on tonight right?"

"Oh shit, I forgot." I grunt. "Who the fuck throws a Halloween party in the middle of March?"

"Sinjin." She states matter-of-factly. "Come on, Jade! You said you would go!"

"Ugh, fine… But I'm not wearing a costume."

"But you have to! It's Halloween!"

"You haven't even taken down the Saint Patrick decorati- oh forget it. Fine. I'll see what the hell I can come up with."

"Yay!" she cheers pulling me in for another kiss. "Alright, well I'm riding with Trina so I'll see you there later yea?"

"What's the point of going if we won't even be able to be together?" I grumble. "As hot, exciting and sexy as this whole secrecy thing is, sometimes it can be a real pain in the ass."

"I know..." She says softly caressing my face with her fingers. "It won't be like that for much longer. Just until this whole Beck thing cools down a bit you know?"

We hadn't seen Beck since Monday night when he confronted us on this very porch. Andre had told Tori the next day that he had taken up a gig they'd been offering him for a while in Canada and would come back by the end of the week. I can't say I blame him for wanting some space. I'm actually quite thankful 'cause I'm sure things would've gone from bad to worse had he stayed around. We both needed to calm down and let things chill out for a bit.

"Yea. Still sucks though."

"We'll manage." She says with a grin. "We always do."

**Tori**

"So what exactly are you two supposed to be again?" I ask as I take a sip from my coke.

"We're Dr. Evil and Mini-Me!" Robbie cries motioning wildly between himself and Rex.

"Stop calling me that, fool!" Rex cries. "It's already bad enough you made me wear this chiz! If you shut your trap maybe we can get people to think we're those cool agents from The Matrix!"

"I really doubt anything you guys do will come off as 'cool'." Andre chuckles.

"At least our costumes are creative!" Robbie argues. "All _you _did was shove a basketball up your shirt to be the pregnant marathon runner you were on Sikowit's sleepover!"

"Hey, it's comfortable ok?" Andre retorts before popping a potato chip into his mouth.

"And it seems like Cat finally got her wish to be a unicorn." I mention pointing over to the crowded backyard where she's currently galloping around in her bright and colorful handmade unicorn costume. "I gotta hand it to her. She really is amazing with the sewing machine. Her costume is great!"

"You seem to have put a lot of thought into _your_ costume, Tori." Andre says sarcastically.

"Hey it's more complicated than it seems!" I cry in defense."Black workout shorts, a blue workout sports bra and these old UFC gloves my dad had. But what really _makes_ the costume, is the robe."

"Is it because it has 'Shelby Marx' written in big bold letters on the back?" Robbie asks.

"Yea…" I sigh. "Without it I'd just look like a personal trainer or something. Which sucks 'cause that means I can't take it off! And I'm so hot!" I groan using a paper plate to fan myself.

"Heh… Ain't that the truth?" Rex snickers to which I just roll my eyes.

"Whoa! Check out Jade!" Robbie exclaims as he points behind me. I follow his gaze and my breath catches in my throat.

"Is she- is she a Giuseppe's Pizza delivery girl?" Andre asks in surprise.

She's wearing a worn out cap with the restaurant's logo on her head, black locks flowing freely below it. The actual uniform t-shirt seems to fit her kinda big so she improvised a bit by tying a knot in the front to make the shirt fit snugly, which in turn exposes her flat and toned stomach. Black leggings hug every curve of her lower body and her trademark black boots complete the outfit.

"Oh, if she ever came to deliver a pizza to me, I'd be sure to give her a _big_ tip, hehe, if you know what I mea-" Rex never gets to finish his sentence because next thing he knows, he's landing in a big bowl of onion dip on a table a few feet from us.

"_Tori!_" Robbie cries as he immediately takes off after him. Thankfully Andre is too busy ogling Jade with me to notice what I've done.

"That's one hot ass pizza delivery girl." Andre mumbles.

Now, I don't get violent with him like I did with Rex because: A. He's not as _small_ as Rex; and B. He's clearly just stating the obvious. And I can't argue with that.

Because that _is _one hot ass pizza delivery girl.

"Hey." She greets with her usual smirk.

"Hi..." Andre and I stammer.

"Harris, could you go get me a beer?" She asks as her eyes lock on mine. When she hears no response, however, she glances over at the boy next to me. "Andre!"

"Uh, yea-what-I wasn't-you… I'llgogetyouabeer." He mumbles quickly before disappearing through the crowd. She turns her attention back to me and I feel my knees go weak from the way her eyes sweep over me with the same need and desire reflected in them.

"Well if it isn't the great, Shelby Marx." She mumbles.

"And who might you be?" I question, crossing my arms and lifting an eyebrow playfully.

She looks down at her shirt and taps the small plastic name-tag pinned to it.

"Brandon S., apparently." She looks back up and smiles proudly.

"Is that the name of the poor boy whose uniform you stole?"

"I did not _steal_ anything. He gave it to me willingly."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"I've told you, Vega. When Jade West wants something, she gets it." My eyes suddenly narrow as something occurs to me.

"Wait… What did you _really_ do to get that uniform?"

"I have my ways."

"Jade…"

"What?"

"What. Did. You do?"

"Oooh, is little Shelby getting ready to beat down?" She teases.

"You did it again, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She says suddenly finding her nails a lot more interesting.

"Oh my God, _you did_!" I hiss.

"Fuck, Vega! They're just boobs..." She whispers while looking around the crowded living room to make sure no one hears us. "Besides, I only did it for _you_, given your whole little infatuation with food delivery guys."

"No, Jade, you can't do that anymore! I don't like it…" I frown and cross my arms over my chest.

"You're making too big a deal of this, Vega."

"I am not-"

"Hi there, Tori." I hear from behind me. I spin around and see Todd McCurdy, one of the hottest guys in school, standing by me wearing a Roman gladiator costume.

"Oh, hey Todd." I smile.

"You look awesome." He says with his signature smile that makes all the girls swoon at his feet. "It's uncanny how much you look like the real Shelby Marx." He then not so subtly checks me out by raking his eyes over my entire body.

"Hey Tom_._" I hear a sharp voice snap.

"It's Todd." He clarifies.

"Don't care." Jade deadpans. "Be a good boy now and go jump in the pool to cool off."

"Uh… but I don't want to get in the pool." He says with confusion.

"Again, _don't care_." That's when I get an idea.

"Hey Todd," I say in a sweet voice. "You wanna see if my whole body resembles that of Shelby's?" His eyes widen as he nods slowly. "I'll show you if you promise to go jump in the pool." I whisper with a wink.

"Vega…" I hear jade growl.

"Ok!" Todd exclaims.

I'm about to open up my robe when I see smoke rising from behind him and gasp when I see it's coming from the small flame on the red cloak he has wrapped around his back.

"Oh my God, you're on fire!" I cry.

"Well, you _are_ hot stuff Miss Marx…" He snickers.

"No! I mean you're _literally_ on fire!" His brow furrows in confusion when he realizes other people are staring and pointing, so he looks back and sees the now spreading flame on his cape.

"What the fuck!" He tries desperately to remove it but he has it wrapped in such a way that won't allow him to do so without getting burned.

"The pool! Jump in the pool!" Someone shouts. His panicked eyes snap over to the door that leads to the backyard patio before he takes off running and dives head first into the pool.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Jade glaring in his direction as she holds out her right arm in front of her while pointing her thumb to the side, her evil smirk growing on her lips as she slowly turns her wrist to the left to make a thumbs down, just like the ancient Romans would do to confirm that the gladiator in question was to be put to death. My eyes widen and my jaw drops when I realize she was the one responsible for Todd.

"You-" Before I can finish she's pulling me through the throng of people, who are too busy watching the spectacle in the yard, and up the stairs. She hastily pushes the first door in the dark hallway open and pulls me inside, closing and locking it afterwards. She turns to me then, hard scowl on her face as she approaches me slowly.

"You could've really hurt the boy, Vega." She drawls.

"Me?!" I cry. "You're the crazy lunatic who set his cape on fire!"

"And _why_ did I have to do that?" She demands as she comes to stand right in front of me. "Oh, maybe it was 'cause you were deliberately letting him _eye_-_fuck_ you right in front of me!"

"Oh so it's ok to show guys your _boobs_ to get what you want but it isn't ok for me to show a guy my body to get him to do something _I _want?"

"That's right."

"_Ugh! _You're insufferable!" I hiss through gritted teeth.

"And you're intolerable!" She growls.

"You're an overly jealous pyromaniac _psycho!" _

"Oh yea? You annoying whiny _flirt!"_

"_Gank!"_

_"Tease!"_

Jade is absolutely livid. Her nostrils flare with every rise and drop of her chest, her green eyes piercing my own in the darkness while her full lips curl at the edges as she quietly growls.

"God, you're so freaking hot when you're jealous…" I whisper huskily before I can stop myself. Her hooded eyes shimmer as she continues staring at me.

"And you're too fucking sexy for your own damn good..." She mutters.

I roughly grab her by the collar of her shirt and pull her to me, clashing my mouth into hers, muffling the gasp that leaves her lips as I kiss her desperately. Her hands slide under the robe to grab onto my waist, burning my skin when they make contact. I loosen the iron grip on the fabric of her shirt and I drag down my hands over the swell of her breasts, drawing out a deep moan from both our throats when I cup and squeeze them gently.

"_Shit." _She pants before furiously attaching her mouth to my neck and dragging her nails up my back.

I'm burning up. My entire body is quaking under her touch, the feel of her lips on my skin, her fingers on my back, her body on mine. My entire being trembles with every movement of my own lips, with every sensation that my roaming hands perceive as my body moves against hers. The immense need I feel for her making my knees weaken and my stomach explode. Don't even get me started on the state of my lungs and heart because I'm certain the strenuous work I'm forcing them to do cannot be good for my health.

I begin walking us forward until Jade's back hits the side of a large wooden dresser. I fumble with the hem of her shirt until I'm able to pull it over her head and toss it on the floor. My hands waste no time in exploring the newly exposed skin as I begin pressing wet, fervent kisses across her shoulders, collarbone and jaw; Jade writhing and moaning in pleasure against me.

Suddenly, my back crashes against the wooden surface when Jade inverts our positions, all but ripping the robe off my shoulders. Her cap is knocked off her head when my hands tangle themselves in her hair. Her own hands pressing into my stomach before slowly ascending, while her mouth sucks, licks and nips at my neck. My eyes shut tight when I feel her fingertips tracing the edge of my sports bra and then tentatively slipping underneath.

I gasp when her palms fully cup my bare breasts while she moans into my neck as her thumbs brush over my hardened nipples. The throbbing between my legs becomes nearly unbearable as she continues moving her hands and lips against me; I let my hands slide down until I'm able to grasp her backside and press her tightly against me, seeking some form of relief from the contact.

As if reading my mind she brings one of her hands down to my left thigh, hooking her hand behind it to pull it up and wrap it around her waist. Catching on, I latch it around her and use it to pull her tightly into me, causing her upper thigh to press firmly to where I need her most.

"Oh my God…" I whimper as she begins moving against me. I take one of my hands to pull her face up to mine so our eyes can meet. Heavy breathing blows heatedly against our faces as we gaze longingly at each other. Her eyes are dark with lust, need and desire. But beneath it all, burning as strongly as the passion that fuels it, is something that leaves me completely breathless.

"I love you." She whispers. "God, I love you."

And then her lips are moving ardently on mine again. She presses herself into my own thigh as we both move desperately against each other.

The pressure builds and builds until I have no choice but to rip my lips from hers and gasp for air. She cups my face with her hand and presses her forehead to mine, her eyes quickly flicking between both of mine as I feel myself rising more and more into a state of complete euphoria in which I'm completely consumed by her.

Jade.

Jade, Jade, Jade, _Jade-_

_"Jade!" _I cry as the built up sexual tension that had gathered day after day finally explodes in an unbelievable wave of pleasure, reverberating throughout my entire being. Jade tenses up against me, eyes shutting tight as she lets out a low, broken whimper when she comes just a second later.

Her body, limp and exhausted, collapses against mine, our labored breathing the only sound in the dark room.

I weakly bring my hand up to caress her face as it rests in the nook between my neck and shoulders.

"Fuck…" she pants.

"Yea…" I agree with a breathless chuckle. She tiredly brings her face up to meet mine, green eyes searching my own to see how I feel about what just happened. I smile lazily before leaning forward and capturing her lips in a slow, tender kiss that I'm sure tells her everything.

"I love you too." I mutter when we part. A wide smile forms on her lips before she kisses me again.

Once we compose ourselves we carefully make our way out of the room and head downstairs, relieved that nobody seems to have noticed our absence or be paying us much attention as we head to rejoin the others.

"Oh hey!" I feel a shiver run down my spine as I freeze in place. "It's _Jade_ and _Tori_!" Both Jade and I turn around to see a very drunk looking Beck waving to us from the corner of the living room where a group of guys are playing beer pong. He begins stumbling over to us and I feel Jade tense up beside me. "Hey guys!" He yells as he waves his arms around to catch everyone's attention. "Yo! Guys!" My heart begins hammering in my chest as I see people start turning around and looking at us in confusion.

"Beck, what are you doing?" Jade hisses. And I can hear the tremor in her voice.

"You guys all know my girl- I mean, _ex-_girlfriend Jade West right?" He says loudly completely ignoring her question. "And you all know my good friend Tori Vega here don't you?" The whole room is quiet now as people watch us curiously. Out of the corner of my eye I see Andre looking over at us in confusion while Cat's and Robbie's gazes switch from one of us to the other. "Well, as you all know, I was recently dumped by the lovely Miss West." He chuckles and takes another swig of his beer.

"Beck." I mutter. "Don't do this. You're drunk."

"What most of you _don't _know, however, is why…" His glazed eyes fix on me as his smile fades away. "That's where my good buddy, Tori comes in."

"Beck, what're you doing man?" Andre tries to take the beer from his hand and lead him away but Beck roughly pushes him back, causing people around the room to gasp and whisper amongst themselves.

"Tell them, Tori." He snaps. "Tell them why Jade is no longer mine!"

"Stop it." I say through gritted teeth.

"Ok then _you _tell them, Jade." He snickers turning to her. "Tell everyone how you long you've been fucki-"

The entire room erupts in gasps and murmurs as my fist connects with his jaw, sending him sprawling back onto the floor. Andre rushes over to him and then looks up at me in surprise.

My breath is coming out in jagged bursts as I cradle my pounding hand in pain. I feel everyone's shocked eyes on me, and when I turn, I see Cat holding her hand in front of her open mouth as her wide eyes gape at me.

"Tori-" But I'm running quickly through the crowded house and out the door before Andre can say another word.

I only make it down two blocks before someone grabs my wrist and spins me around, embracing my trembling body in a tight grip.

I feel a warm hand on my cheek gently tilt my face up.

And it's only until I see those beautiful green eyes so full of love and understanding that I allow my tears to fall.

* * *

**AN: Phew! Take a breather and reward yourself with a cookie after reading this monster! Hope you guys enjoyed it still!**

**Oh and thank you guys for all your encouraging words about my V-day experience! My goal is to at least _open _the closet door this year so that I might make some progress O_O **

**Even though statistics show that posting reviews have been proven to help young closeted gays come out sooner...**

**So come on! Help me embrace my sexuality and throw down that damn door so I may once and for all _taste the rainbow_! **


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Omg, so guess what?! I got food poisoning. Mother-effin-_food poisoning!_ And you wanna know the worst part? It was from something I cooked myself... U_U So yea, that's why this is so late... I was dying you guys! Food poisoning is so not fun. Every day I'd put two small coins over my eyes when I slept just in case that night was the night I got carried off to the Underworld. (I had no internet at home so I read a lot of Greek Mythology crap from school.) **

**Anywhoooo, I'll shut up now and give you all what you came for. My soul. You guys do work for Psyche, right? The Greek goddess of the soul? **

**Oh internet, how I missed thee!**

* * *

**Jade**

"Tori, honey…" No sooner are we walking through the front door than Mrs. Vega is rushing to us and wrapping Tori in a tight embrace. "Trina called and told us what happened and that she couldn't find you afterwards and I just got so worried and-"

"I'm fine mom." Tori smiles softly. "I couldn't call you because I left my phone and purse in Trina's car but," she turns and motions towards me. "Jade made sure I got home safely." Mrs. Vega finally turns her attention away from her daughter to me. My lips twitch into a crooked smile and I send her a small wave.

"Oh Jade…" She breathes as she pulls me into a bone crushing hug. My eyes widen in surprise as I awkwardly return it, sending Vega and her dad a glare when I see them giggling from over her shoulder. "What happened? Are you girls alright? Do you want some hot chocolate? What did Beck do? Did you hurt your wrist? Are you-"

"Mom, take a breath please!" Tori chuckles.

_Well I see where she gets that damned rambling of hers from._

"Come here honey," Mr. Vega says guiding his wife to the living room. "Sit down, calm down, and let the girls tell us what happened while I make us all some nice hot chocolate ok?" She nods and takes a seat on the couch with a sigh, turning and patting the spot next to her for us to take. Tori sits by her mom and I next to her, fighting the urge to take her hand and pull her towards me since her mom's eyes are still set in our direction.

Both Tori's parents know about us now, and she claims they completely approve of our relationship, even respecting our decision to keep it private from everyone, including their eldest, until both Tori and I are ready. But as awesome and supportive as they are, I don't want to push the boundaries and come off as disrespectful or make them feel uncomfortable with too much PDA, you know? So I place my hands on my lap and turn my attention to the two Vega women in front of me.

"Well, basically, Beck was acting like a complete and utter asshole and Miss Shelby Marx here gave everyone an up close and personal demonstration on how to properly knock someone unconscious with one single punch." I state with a proud smile while nudging Tori playfully with my leg.

"With _one single _punch?" Mr. Vega exclaims from the kitchen.

"She's sure got a mean left hook." I smirk.

"You hit him with your _left _hand?" He cries out even more excitedly.

"You guys make it seem as though what I did was a good thing." Tori mumbles while she runs a finger over her knuckles and grimaces. I gently take her hand in mine and very carefully remove the fingerless glove she's wearing causing her to hiss in pain.

"Oh my God, sweetheart!" Tori's mom gasps when she sees the dark purple bruises across her skin. "That looks pretty bad, maybe we should go to the hospital and-"

"No, mom, I don't think it's broken." Tori quickly interjects as she flexes her fingers in my hand, biting her lower lip to keep from whimpering in pain. "They just hurt a lot, but I can move them. Maybe just some ice?"

"Way ahead of you, champ!" Mr. Vega returns from the kitchen holding a small wooden tray with four mugs and an ice pack on it, he holds the tray out in front of me and motions to a mug with darker liquid than the rest. "You seem like the coffee drinking type." He says with a wink. I smile and feel myself blush, why? I don't fucking know. It often happens whenever I'm in close proximity with any of the Vegas. Well, except for Trina, she only makes my face flush in murderous rage.

I take my coffee mug and hand one of the hot chocolate ones to Tori. I place my drink on the table and grab the ice pack from the tray before Mr. Vega goes join his wife on the other side of the couch. I remove the thin sweater I'm wearing and wrap the ice pack in it before carefully pressing it to her injured hand so as to not hurt her with the direct cold contact. I gently run my fingers over her bruised skin, and before I know what I'm doing I bring it up to my face and press a soft kiss on her knuckles.

I freeze and my eyes snap open when I remember where and with who I'm currently sitting.

Mrs. Vega holds a hand to her chest as she looks at me with an overly sweet smile and Mr. Vega simply grins and nods his head in approval while taking his wife's hand in his. When my eyes finally shift to Tori, I notice the small blush on her cheeks as she gives me an adoring smile, her eyes gazing at me in a way that makes me feel like she really wants to jump my bones right now.

I awkwardly clear my throat and slowly put her hand down on my lap to continue massaging it, certain that my face is glowing from the blush currently overtaking it.

_Fucking Vegas._

"So you guys wanna talk about what happened tonight?" I internally thank Mr. Vega for finally taking the attention away from me.

Tori lets out a long sigh as she leans back against the couch and rests her head on my shoulder.

"He pretty much outed us in front of everyone at the party." She mumbles as her eyes begin to water.

"He did not!" Her mom gasps.

"Well, he didn't really get to say it," I cut in while gently running my fingers through Vega's hair. "Tori's fist kinda kept him from it, but I mean, what he _did _say could totally imply-"

"He made it sound like Jade was a heartless cheater and I some kind of _floozy_ that was messing around with his girlfriend behind his back!" Tori cries as the tears begin falling once again. "It's not even the fact that he basically exposed us in front of everyone, I mean, we weren't planning on staying a secret forever but…" She trails off and nuzzles further into me. "I just never thought he was capable of making us look like such trash in front of our friends when he knows- _he knows_ it's not true! That we would _never_ do that…"

"Oh honey," Mrs. Vega reaches over and places a hand over Tori's thigh. "I'm sure you're friends know that too. They know how you girls are-"

"No mom, you didn't see Andre's expression." Tori mutters flatly. "Or the way Cat looked at me like she didn't- like she didn't even know who I was…" I tighten my grasp and pull her closer to me, my chest aching from the mere sound of her voice.

My problem isn't so much with what people will think, 'cause honestly I couldn't give two fucks about what their opinion of me is. But Tori isn't like that. I mean, she's not one of those desperate-for-attention wannabes who die to be liked by everyone and are secretly hated by all, but she really does care what her closest friends think of her. And I can tell the thought of the people she truly cares about seeing her in a negative way hurts her. Especially when she knows the reason behind it is such bullshit.

_That's _my problem. That's my biggest fucking problem with this whole shit-fest of a situation. The fact that I can't believe Beck was capable of pulling that little stunt. I don't think I'm even hurt anymore. No. He seems to have taken it upon himself to rid me of any feelings of guilt, sympathy and understanding for him with how much of an asshole he's been.

And now, seeing Tori like this, makes things that much worse. It makes me that much more pissed off.

How dare he? How fucking _dare _he?

The doorbell ringing snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Maybe Trina forgot her house keys again?" Mr. Vega guesses getting up to open the door.

"It's only nine o'clock." Tori says, eyebrows furrowing as she follows her dad with her gaze. "I doubt she left the party early just to come home and-" she trails off and I feel her stiffen in my arms. I quickly turn my head to see what caused her to react like that and feel my own body tense up when I see Andre, still in his marathon costume minus the pregnant part, standing in the doorway with a hand holding the back of his neck nervously as he glances in our direction. Mr. Vega looks questioningly at Tori before turning back to Andre who takes a small tentative step forward.

"Hey…" He mumbles. "I-I just… you guys weren't answering your cell phones and I- well, I just wanted to check up on you and… you know, make sure you girls were ok after what h-happened…" He rubs his hands together awkwardly before turning to look at Tori's parents and then back at us.

Tori remains frozen in place, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. The only sign that assures me she's still alive is the way I can feel her breathing accelerating by the second against me. I give her a gentle squeeze to hopefully calm her and keep her from going into a full blown anxiety attack or some shit before turning to Andre and giving him a slight nod. He clears his throat and begins making his way inside. Both Tori and I slightly put some distance between us as soon as he comes around the couch and sits down on the other side.

"We'll be upstairs if you guys need anything ok?" Mrs. Vega says giving us a soft smile before heading up with her husband, who also nods reassuringly.

"How's your hand?" Andre asks after a few beats of awkward silence.

"Oh it's…" Tori chuckles nervously as she lifts her hand and examines it. "…purple and squishy."

"You certainly don't hit like a girl, that's for sure." He says with a small smile to which she just shrugs, her eyes still fixed on her fist.

"How's- how's Beck?" She mumbles quietly. God, even know she's fucking worried about him.

"He's ok. He was a drunken mess and his jaw was starting to swell up when I dropped him off but other than that, he'll be fine."

"That's good."

There's a long stretch of silence again and Tori begins fiddling nervously with the icepack on her hand. I reach over as subtly as I can and gently run the back of my fingers over the length of her hand in an attempt to calm her down. She looks down at it quickly and then at me, a smile pulling at the corner of her lips. Our gazes lock for a few seconds before she takes a deep breath and turns back to Andre who is watching us curiously.

"Listen, Andre." She begins. "What happened with Beck-"

"Tori, I didn't come here to demand explanations or anything." Andre cuts in waving his hand dismissively. "I told you I just wanted to make sure you girls were alri-"

"But I _need _to explain!" she cries. "I need you to understand that… that what he said wasn't true. At least not in the way he made it seem."

"Tori-"

"No, Andre, please." She jumps up from the couch and begins pacing in front of the tv. "What Beck said was-"

She's interrupted by yet another knock on the door.

"I got it." I quickly get up and head to the entrance, thankful for an excuse to get away from this awkward conversation that I have a feeling is about to get even _more_ awkward. I mean, don't get me wrong, Tori's right, we owe him some sort of explanation. He is our 'friend' after all… Well, mostly hers but whatever. Point is, we're all part of the same little group and I suppose this kinda does affect everyone in some way. Be that as it may, I just hate these type of 'talk it out' shits… it makes me uncomfortable as fuck and causes me to act all weird and make inappropriate comments. So I hope she doesn't expect me to contribute much to this whole little conversation; that's _her_ forte.

I open the door just to be immediately enveloped in a tight hug that knocks the air out of me.

"Jadey!" I instinctively grab on to Cat's small frame as she buries her head in my chest and tightens her grip.

"Jesus, Cat!" I gasp as I try to pry her away. Robbie, who is standing behind her, hurries to help me. "How are you so fucking strong?" I wonder once she's finally off me. 'Cause seriously, she's five feet tall and weighs like ninety pounds!

"I-I was just so worried about you!" She cries through sniffles before she turns to Tori, who's staring at her nervously. "Oh, Tori!" And now she's got her in a death grip.

"Hey, Cat…" Tori manages to grunt. I see a small relieved smile appear on her face as she rests her head on top of Cat's.

"Are you ok? Is your hand alright? Oh my God I can't believe what happened! It's all so-"

"Relax, Little Red." Andre says as he gently pulls her off Tori and guides her to the couch. "Here, have some chocolate." He grabs some m&m's from a small dish on the coffee table and hands them to her.

"Hey, girls." Robbie finally speaks up from behind the couch, sending us a small wave. Tori gives him a faint smile and I a quick nod. "Your hand looks pretty banged up there, Toro." He says softly while sitting on the couch's backrest.

"It's… it's not so bad. Just hurts a bit but I should be ok." She sighs as she looks at the people in front of her, who are all giving her warm smiles. Her gaze then flickers to where I'm currently leaning against the front door watching her. The corner of her mouth twitches into a semi-smile as she looks at me before turning back to them. "Listen guys, about what happened with Beck-"

"Don't worry, Tori." Robbie interrupts with a shake of his head. "Beck was just drunk and speaking nonsense."

"Yea but-"

"I can't even believe he would say what he did." Cat gasps closing her eyes and covering her ears. "Why would he be so mean and say that lie about you and Jade?"

"Well, it wasn't _entirely_-"

"You don't have to worry about us believing what he said about you two, ok?" Andre assures her. "I don't know why he would say something like that, I mean, yea he was drunk and all but, I really doubt anyone there would believe that you had anything to do with him and Jade breaking up in-" he clears his throat. "in the way he… _insinuated_. I mean, he didn't even really make what he meant clear so who knows what people will think!"

"But-"

"Yea, totally don't have to worry about that." Robbie says with an assuring smile.

"I-I really don't-"

"Everybody knows you two don't even like each other as friends!" Cat adds. "And if anyone tries to say otherwise, Tori can just punch them in the _face_! Hehe."

Tori turns to me with a desperate look in her eyes, begging me to help her get these morons to shut up long enough for her to explain. I roll my eyes while pushing myself off the door and head towards her.

"Hey." I call, trying to get their attention, as they continue going on and on about how ridiculous it is for us to be worried. "Hey!" Nothing."Motherfucking _hey!" _I yell throwing a handful of m&m's at them. They all stop yapping and turn to me. "Shut up and let her talk." I order and they immediately comply, their wide eyes turning towards Tori who frowns as she sees all the colorful candy scattered about.

"Um… Thanks, Jade." She mutters to which I simply motion with my hands for her to continue. "Guys I-" she lets out a heavy sigh and runs her good hand over her face. "Look… What happened tonight with Beck wasn't just because he was drunk. Well, I mean, yea in big part it was because he was drunk but-what I mean to say is that, he-he had his… reasons… to say what he did."

"What do you mean?" Cat asks, face scrunched up in confusion.

"Well," Vega begins fiddling nervously with her fingers, unable to meet anyone's gaze. "he might've… you know, had a point?"

"I-I don't understand…" Robbie stammers, looking quickly between Tori and me.

"Tori, I know you like to meddle in other people's problems and stuff but, there's no way Beck can blame you for having broken him and Jade up." Andre argues. "No matter what crazy shenanigans you did this time."

"No it's not- that's not what I mean I – _ugh_ – I can't do this…" she mumbles and turns to me again. "Jade?"

"Christ, Vega…" I groan.

"Please?" She pleads, pulling on my arm desperately.

"Goddammit." I sigh as I wearily tear my gaze away from the three pairs of eyes watching us curiously. I run a hand through my hair and turn to them again. "I really did leave Beck for Tori." I splutter quickly before turning to face her. "See how easy that was?" I begin walking away only to be immediately pulled back by the fabric of my shirt 'til I'm standing right next to her again. I huff and fold my arms over my chest as I awkwardly examine my nails.

"You mean-you mean you left Beck _for _Tori or… or _because _of Tori?" Robbie stammers.

"What the fuck's the difference?" I scoff.

"Well, _because _of Tori could imply that you left him as a _result_ of something Tori did." Andre explains.

"Whereas, if you left him _for_ Tori…" Robbie continues.

"It would mean that you left him to be… to be _with _her…" Andre concludes.

I roll my eyes for the billionth time as I am yet again reminded why it's sometimes so much easier to not have any friends.

"I know what I said." I deadpan. Andre gulps, Robbie squeaks, Vega chokes, and Cat lets out a low and elongated 'whaaat?'.

"Oh my God! You left _Beck _for _Tori_!" she cries out in realization after a good two minutes of silence.

"Thirty points for Gryffindor." I mutter sarcastically.

"But-but…" she sputters holding her head in her hands.

"So… so Beck was telling the truth?" Robbie gasps.

"No! Well, yes… but no. I mean, I _did_ leave him for her but it's not like he made it seem! I-I wasn't… we haven't been 'fucking_' – _well not_ yet _anyways_-"_

"_Jade!" _

"What? We _haven't_!" I cry out as Tori buries her red face in her hands. "I mean, we've done _stuff_ but-"

"Oh my God..." She groans.

"-but never _deliberately_ behind Beck's back… I'm no cheater! I-I broke up with him as _soon_ as I realized I was in love with her!"

Everyone freezes and stares up at me in shock, my eyes widening when I realize everything I've just said. See what I mean about weird and inappropriate?

"You're-you're _in love_ with her?" Cat gasps bringing a hand to her chest while Andre's face softens and Robbie gapes at me in shock.

"I-I…" I look over at Tori and see that, although she's still blushing like mad, her eyes are watching me with such adoration and love reflected on them that my whole body is suddenly inundated by an inexplicable warmth. "Yea…" I sigh feeling a smile grow on my lips as I get lost in those beautiful brown orbs. "I truly… deeply… am."

"And you Tori are also-"

"Absolutely crazy about her? Yes." She whispers quickly, eyes never drifting away from mine. "But what Jade's saying is true," she adds before turning to them once again. "I-I know this whole thing looks bad but… we never, _ever_ meant to hurt Beck."

"I tried talking to him." I continue. "I tried to explain things to him… that-that I hadn't meant to hurt him! That I love him! Because I do. I always have, just not… not like I thought I did. And I tried to tell him! But he wouldn't listen, he wouldn't believe me… But I swear I didn't want to hurt him! We never wanted to-"

"Jade," Andre lifts his hand up to stop me. "I know." He smiles warmly.

"What?" I question.

"You and I may not be the closest of friends," he says with a shrug. "but I know you. And I know Tori. Now, as weird as this whole situation is, I think I can speak for all of us here when I say that there's no doubt in my mind that what you're saying is true. As great of an actress as I know you are, there is no way you can fake that twinkle of love in your eyes…" He says with a taunting grin.

"My eyes do _not_ fucking twinkle…" I mumble feeling the blood rush to my face as I look away.

"Oh my goodness!" Cat squeals. "I see the twinkle too! Hehe!"

"I wanna see-"

"_No!" _I snap sending Robbie toppling back into the couch with a yelp.

"In all seriousness though," Andre says as his chuckles die down. "I want you guys to know that you have absolutely _nothing _to feel bad about. As much as I love Beck and consider him one of my best friends, he had no right to behave the way he did tonight. To have _done_ what he did. I know he's hurting and all, but that's no excuse to have treated you like that. Not only did he disrespect you both, but made himself look like a total dick." My eyes snap up to meet his in astonishment. Similar to Vega, Andre has never been fond of foul language. "He deserved every bit of that punch you gave him, Tori." He smiles.

"I'm not one to support physical violence," Robbie inputs. "But I happen to agree with Andre on this. And I want you gals to know that I am willing to stand up and fight for your honor if necessary. Whether it be against Beck, or the entire student body of Hollywood Arts."

"Why, thank you, Robbie." Tori laughs, and Robbie simply nods his head gallantly.

"I always thought you two had the hots for each other…" Cat giggles while plucking the pieces of chocolate from in-between the cushions and into her mouth.

"You did not." I scoff.

"She actually did!" Robbie exclaims nodding his head vigorously. "She would always say how you could just cut the sexual tension between you both with a spork!"

_The fuck?_

"A spork?" Vega questions with an arched eyebrow.

"Nevermind that." Andre quickly interjects. "How did this even happen?" He motions wildly between us. "I mean, I know they say there's a thin line between love and hate but, I find it hard to believe that you both suddenly woke up one day and decided to jump over said line."

"No, no… it wasn't like that at all." Tori chuckles while grabbing my hand and pulling me to sit on the empty couch across from them. "It actually," she grins as she snuggles into me. "started in Yerba."

"_Yerba_?!" They all cry in unison.

And so the next hour and a half is spent telling them the story of how the seemingly impossible friendship between Tori Vega and Jade West came to be. They listened with rapt attention as she animatedly described the way it happened and how it slowly but surely turned into something else entirely that neither one of us saw coming… but now couldn't see ourselves without. Of course she didn't go into _every_ single detail. I had to pinch her slightly several times when she was revealing too much and risked ruining the reputation I had going on for me. But seeing that dorky ass smile as she talked about us made me not want to give a single fuck.

"Aww! That's so romantic!" Cat squeals when the story is over.

"Ugh, gross." I grumble and press my face into Tori's hair, who is sitting in front of me on the couch with her back pressed against my front.

"Oh stop it." She chastises as she leans her head back on my shoulder to be able to see me. "You are one of the biggest romantics I know." She lifts her hand to cup my face and pulls me in for a quick kiss, which I of course deepen without a second thought. I tighten my grasp around her waist and pull her further back into me as my lips move hungrily against hers; getting completely lost, as I so often do, in the feel of her against me.

"One time, my brother was watching a movie that started off a lot like this." Tori and I quickly break apart as the sound of Cat's voice snaps us out of our little trance. I look up and see her smiling innocently at us while Andre and Robbie stare with wide eyes, dropped jaws and throw pillows strategically placed on their laps. I roll my eyes and shake my head while a blushing Tori jumps up from the couch and motions to the kitchen.

"Uh, does anyone want something to drink? Eat? We got waffles! And I think pizza. It's kinda old, but I'm sure it's still good. Trina had a slice the other day and-"

"No, no…" Andre chuckles awkwardly while standing up. "It's getting late and I think we're gonna get going."

"Oh, ok." She smiles and clasps her hands together as she walks them to the door.

"I'm really happy for you girls." Andre says before stepping outside. "I know this whole thing with Beck is jank right now, and maybe things at school will be weird for a while but, I want you to know that you both can count on me for anything." He smiles warmly. "And I mean anything. Anyone gives you two any trouble, you point them out to me."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Robbie chuckles from behind him. "Everyone is already terrified of Jade and after tonight people will probably think twice before messing with Toro!"

"Thanks, I guess..." Tori laughs. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you guys finally know and are ok with… well with us."

"I'm just happy you guys are happy!" Cat chirps pulling us both into a tight hug. I'm about to start counting out loud for her to release me when Tori sends me a warning glare. I let out an elongated sigh and halfheartedly return the hug.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Jade West would be whipped!" Robbie snickers making a whipping noise with his mouth. I feel my blood boil and am about to pounce on him when I feel a hand on my wrist.

"Alright, goodnight!" Tori calls out quickly as she all but pushes Robbie out the door. But before she can stop me I take an m&m from Cat's palm and throw it in his direction, hitting him square in the forehead.

"Next time it's my scissors." I warn. He lets out a squeak before disappearing around the corner, Andre and Cat laughing as they follow after him.

"We've got awesome friends." Tori sighs happily while leaning back against the door once she closes it.

"Eh, they're alright." I say dismissively before letting myself fall back onto the couch and reach for the tv remote.

"I know you love them." She teases and begins walking towards the stairs while pulling the thin robe tightly around her body. "Hey, I'm gonna go put some actual clothes on."

"Aww…" I pout raising my head from behind the couch's backrest to look at her. "I like you as semi-naked Shelby Marx, she's hot."

"Well, semi-naked _Tori_ is cold."

"I can keep her warm…" I offer wiggling my eyebrows.

"Or she could just put some clothes on, grab a blanket, turn up the heater and sit with her hands where I can see them." Mr. Vega suggests from the top of the stairs where he watches us with a lifted eyebrow and hands on his hips. I feel all the blood drain from my face while Tori seems to have it all rush into her own. She squeaks some form of unintelligible reply before quickly rushing up the stairs and disappearing down the hall to her room.

_Goddammit, Vega. You _would_ fucking leave me here alone with your gun wielding father._

"So Jade…" he drawls as he slowly descends the stairs.

I gulp and throw him a crooked smile that I'm certain makes it look like I had bad Thai food.

"You love my daughter?"

"Yes, sir."

"You respect my daughter?"

"Of course, sir."

"And you intend on doing her right?"

I almost choke on my own spit and die right there in the middle of the Vega's living room.

"Uh… I-I'm sorry, _what_?" I stammer as my eyes triple in size.

"You intend on doing right by her?" He repeats while scrunching his eyebrows in slight confusion, now standing right in front of me by the couch; and I almost facepalm myself for having heard something so horrendously different.

_God, Jade, selective fucking hearing much?_

"Yes! Yes, yes of course I do! I-I love her very much, sir. I would never in a million years think of intentionally hurting her in any way shape or-"

"Jesus, kid, relax!" he ruffles my hair playfully as he bursts into laughter. "I'm just messin' with you!" He continues chuckling as he walks over to the kitchen while I sit there with my hair all messed up, gaping at him. "For someone Tori used to be so deadly afraid of, you're extremely easy to intimidate…" He snickers.

"I-I…"

"And stop calling me sir. It's David to you." He points to me while grabbing a bag of grapes from the fridge. "Wanna see something super-duper cool?" He says while plucking several of them from the stem and giving me a mischievous smile that suddenly turns serious. "But you can't tell Holly 'cause she hates it when I play with my food." I nod dumbly, still trying to comprehend what the fuck is wrong with this man. "Ok, ok, here we go." He jumps in place a few times as though pumping himself up and then stands absolutely still. Lifting the hand with the grapes, he begins flicking them one by one at an amazing speed up in the air. Once their all airborne he quickly positions himself underneath where he proceeds to catch them all in his mouth. With erupting cheeks he proudly turns to me and takes a bow.

"Oh my God, you're a bigger dork than she is…" I mutter while I stare at him dumbfounded. He presses his hand against his bursting mouth to try and keep himself from spitting up the grapes through his laughter.

"That's what they refer to as the 'Old Vega Charm'." He says once he composes himself, and I can't help but smile and roll my eyes at the man.

"Oh dad, please tell me you didn't show her your grape propeller trick?" I turn and see Vega coming down the stairs wearing black yoga pants, a loose-fitting pink sweater and those glasses of hers that make her look so goddamned, fucking, _sexy._ I bite my lower lip to keep myself from making any sort of noise that could possibly give my thoughts away.

Jesus, when did I start acting like such a hormone-driven fucking teenager?

"Aw come on, Torbear! It's a cool trick…" He pouts. And if I were into older Latino men, I would dare say it's as cute as the one his daughter makes. She simply shakes her head with a grin and comes plop down on the couch next to me. "Alright girls, I'll be in the garage… You two be good now, you hear?" He warns with a wink before disappearing out the door by the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry about him, he is- _ow!" _Vega cries out when I pinch her thigh.

"_That_ was for leaving me alone with him." I snap. "And _this,_" I take her startled face in my hands and let my eyes rake in her every beautiful feature before pulling her forward and clashing my lips to hers in a searing kiss. "is for having 20/50 vision." I whisper sultrily, biting her lower lip before pulling away.

"Mmm…" She hums with her eyes still closed, as she tries to recover from the surge of passion I just couldn't help but release. I chuckle and peck her on the lips once more before turning my attention back to the tv. "So, I take it you like the glasses?" she teases as she slowly walks two fingers up my arm, sending involuntary shivers up my spine. "Or do you really just find the random information you got from my medical records that exhilarating?" She moves my hair to the side and slowly begins pressing hot kisses across my neck and shoulder, causing my eyes to flutter shut as I let my head drop back onto the headrest.

"Fuck…" I breathe as she continues caressing my skin with her lips. "Your dad-" I gulp when I feel her fingers drawing patterns on my exposed stomach. "he's… he's just-"

"_Not_ here." She whispers into my ear before nipping it, which in turn causes an embarrassing whimper, or moan, or… _some_ shit to come out of my mouth.

"Jesus, Vega! What the fuck kind of seductive-beast-releasing magical glasses are those?" I pant. She giggles and presses a small kiss on my cheek before snuggling into my side and turning her head to watch the tv. "Oh sure, get me all hot and bothered one second just to leave me high and dry the next…" I grumble while putting my arm around her shoulders to bring her closer.

"My dad's in the other room." She replies simply.

"Ohh… _all _of a sudden we're painfully aware of where your dad is."

"Come on, Jade!" she swats my arm playfully while turning to face me again. "Aren't you happy to just be peacefully hanging out with me?"

"Meh…" I shrug. She does an exaggerated gasp and pokes my stomach.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" She taunts.

"And _whose_ fault is it that my pants are in that current state?" I smirk when I see her face turn red. "That's what I thought, Little Miss Tease, don't you go starting things you can't finish."

We watch tv for a while, our constant bantering overlapping the noise from the program. And God, I truly _do_ love just being with her, no matter what we're doing. There are no words to explain just how fucking happy she makes me. It's occasions like these when I wish time could just freeze and I could stay like this with her forever.

"Run away with me." She says suddenly after a few minutes of watching tv in silence. I turn away from the screen and see her watching me dreamily, studying me as if she wanted to engrave my every feature into her mind.

"What?"

"Run away with me." She repeats, small smile growing on her lips. "Let's just… go. Anywhere. Together. You and me."

"Ok." I say with a smirk. "Where are we going?" I lean back and put my arm on the couch's headrest, so I can use my fingers to gently brush a lock of hair off her face.

"We could go anywhere, Jade. Anywhere at all and I'd be happy, just because I'm with you." She reaches over and takes my free hand into her own. And as unbelievably corny and cheesy as what she said is, the look in her eyes tells me that she means it. She truly means it and it makes my heart skip a beat.

"Oh yea?" I smile, now tracing her cheekbones with my fingers. "What if I took you to the Arizona desert?"

"I'd be happy 'cause it'd be so hot you'd probably wear very little clothing." She whispers before giggling softly.

"Perv." I chuckle as I let my finger continue caressing her soft skin. "What if… what if I took you to the slums of Brazil?"

"I'd be happy because we'd have to cuddle all night to stay warm, since we'd only have the one small blanket we'd steal from one of the rich jerks of Rio."

"You've really thought this through I see." I laugh, shifting the hand that is currently in hers so that our fingers may intertwine.

"So will you run away with me then?" she asks running her thumb over my knuckles.

"Sure, Vega." I whisper as I lean in to kiss her softly. "I'll go anywhere with you." I chuckle at the dorky smile she gives me and rest my head on her shoulder.

"We really could, you know?" she mutters after a moment. "Run away." I turn my head and look at her curiously. She continues staring at the screen before slowly turning her gaze to meet mine.

"You're serious." I say, more as a statement than a question.

"Yea." She smiles softly and squeezes my hand.

"What? But- _Why_?" I cry sitting up straight.

"Oh come on, Jade…" She groans. "Just because you choose to not talk about it doesn't mean I don't _think_ about it every waking moment of my day!" My heart stops and I pull my hand away from her grasp.

"Don't-"

"No, Jade." She states firmly, grabbing my hand again. "Stop pushing it away. Stop pretending it isn't happening."

"Vega, I don't want to talk about-"

"Well we're gonna."

I sigh and run my fingers through my hair tiredly.

"And we were having such a good time too…" I mumble.

"That's exactly why I brought it up, Jade." She says softly while hooking two fingers beneath my chin to turn my face to hers. "You're supposed to leave to Chicago in less than three weeks." I close my eyes and try to ignore the way her voice cracks. "And… I can't, Jade. I-I can't have that. It physically hurts me to even _think_ of you being so far away. Of not being able to see you, to touch you, to kiss you, to just… to just _be_ with you sitting on my couch and watching tv." She cups my face with her hand and presses her forehead to mine. "I can't lose you, Jade. I just can't. So I won't."

"So you wanna run away?" I scoff. "You'd leave everything and everyone you love behind, just for me?"

"They'd understand-"

"No they wouldn't, Tori! And I wouldn't think of doing that to them… to-to _you!" _

"So what then, Jade?" She cries, pushing away from me and getting up from the couch. "What then? You just leave? You just leave and that's it? I stay here happily with my family and friends and talk to you over the phone or through freaking emails?"

"Tori-"

"No!" She growls. "No! I _won't _be happy! I will be _miserable!"_

"You think _I _won't?" I moan, feeling my eyes start to burn. "You think it doesn't kill me to think of being apart from you? Every fucking day, Tori! Every _fucking _day I think about it. Hard as I try not to. It's the only thing I think about other than you." I slump back onto the couch tiredly. "That's why I don't bring it up when we're together. Because I don't want to taint the last few days we-"

"No, no… Don't say that." She pleads as she comes and kneels in front of me grabbing at my shirt desperately. "Don't-don't you dare say that."

"Tori, I've gone over all my options." I groan. "I can't just run away, what about school? Where would I live?"

"Here. With us."

"You think my parents would allow that? They'd accuse your family of kidnapping or some shit and still take me away. I couldn't do that to you guys. I can't go anywhere else and continue going to school, or seeing you, 'cause that's where they'd look for me first. They won't agree… I'm part of their little fucking 'business family image' and they can't afford to lose me, regardless of what I want."

"Well I don't give a _damn_." She grunts and I can't help but smile faintly at the way she enunciates the last word. "I'm not letting you go, Jade. I don't care what I have to do, I'm not losing you."

"Who would've thought, huh?" I chuckle halfheartedly as I pull her up on the couch and wrap my arms around her. "Just three months ago we would purposefully put distance between us just to not be near one another and now... and now we can't bear the thought of being apart."

"Love makes you do some crazy chiz." she mumbles.

"Well, you _did_ say you were crazy about me…"

"I meant to say that I _must _be crazy to love you like I do."

"Same difference."

"No... One means I'm madly in love with you, that I love you without restraint; while the other one means I must be seriously demented to even _consider_ falling in love with someone like you."

"So you think I'm pretty _and _demented?"

"…_what? _How'd you get to _that _conclusion from what I said?"

"Fine, fine. I'll let you kiss me."

"Are we even having the same conversation?"

"I don't really care, I just want you to kiss me."

"I'm more than just a great kisser, you know?"

"Well, I haven't had the _pleasure_ to see your other talents in action…" I smirk.

"I walked right into that one didn't I?" she groans.

"Sure did. Now kiss me."

"Say please."

"No."

"No kiss then."

"I have other ways to persuade you."

"Oh yea? Like?"

"Have I ever introduced you to Lucy and Ethel?"

"Hey girls!" Mrs. Vega suddenly appears at the top of the stairs. "Don't mind me, I just came to get a little midnight snack."

"Oh shit, what time is it?" I exclaim jumping up from the couch and checking my phone. "It's past one in the morning already! I'm sorry, Mrs. Vega, I didn't realize how late it was, I'll be on my way now." I quickly grab my keys and sweater.

"Oh sweetie, I wasn't trying to kick you out! I seriously was just getting a snack!" she says quickly. "We go to sleep late here anyways and-"

"Thanks Mrs. V. but I really should get going." I say with a smile.

"Aww…" Tori pouts.

"Oh stop your whining and walk me out." I snap playfully.

"Alright, dear, if you insist." Mrs. Vega walks up to me and envelops me in a warm hug, which I return less awkwardly this time. "Drive safe ok?" I nod. "And we're here if you ever need anything."

"Thanks Mrs. Vega." I smile.

"Please call me Holly, Jade. Mrs. Vega makes me feel all old and boring." She adds with a wink before making her way to the kitchen.

"I'll be right back, mom!" Tori calls before we step outside. "You really don't have to leave, Jade." She says as soon as she closes the door.

"I know, but… well, I don't wanna seem overbearing by being here too much or too late you know? I don't want your parents to get tired of me or something."

"I think it's cute how hard you're trying to impress them." She says with a smile.

"Oh don't flatter yourself, Vega. I had already told you I just don't wanna get on your dad's bad side and end up getting shot or beat with a police baton."

"Yea, yea whatever you say…" she chuckles.

"Alright, so am I gonna get my goodnight kiss now or you still playing hard to get?" I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the wall.

"Not until you ask nicely." She mimics my stance and leans against the wall opposite to me on the narrow walkway.

"Pretty fucking please with a goddamned cherry on top." I deadpan.

"Close enough." She smiles and bites her lower lip before slowly walking forward. She stops right in front of me, places her hands on either side of my shoulders, and brings her face a mere two inches from mine. I lean in but she quickly pulls back. "Nuh-uh. You said you wanted _me _to kiss _you._" she mutters pressing me back into the wall with her good hand. She leans in slowly, eyes flicking between my own and my mouth, stopping close enough to brush our lips together, but as soon as I make any sort of movement she pulls back and pushes me away. She then chooses to avoid my mouth altogether and instead presses tiny kisses across my jaw and neck.

"I've said this before, and I'll say it again: you are the biggest fucking tease on the planet, you know that?" I groan a bit breathlessly when I feel her lips ghost across my neck. "Always starting shit you can't finish."

"Who says I'm not planning on finishing?" she murmurs into my ear. My eyes snap open. "There's a fresh change of clothes on top of the hamper in my bathroom." She whispers as she nips my earlobe. "The towels are on the shelf next to the shower." She sucks on my jaw. "I want you to smell like Jade, not Brandon S. and pizza." She kisses the corner of my mouth. "I'll be up there in twenty minutes." And then her lips finally clash into mine with such passion that I fear I might just combust into flames right then and there. But just as I'm getting lost in the kiss, she pulls away. "Don't wanna get ahead of ourselves now, do we?" she smirks before she begins walking backwards toward the front door. "Watch your step on your way up." And then she's gone, leaving me a completely breathless hot mess.

_The glasses... It_ has _to be those fucking glasses… _

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**AN: I know, I know... I'm a tease. ****But you guys _love_ it! I know you do! Haha! Now don't you go and invoke Himeros, the Greek god of lust, love and sex and offer me as sacrifice just yet; the next chapter will resume where this one left off. You won't miss any of the good stuff ;)  
Thanks again for the reviews! I simply _love_ reading them! Like with the last chapter when a couple of you admitted to being on same boat (or should I say, in the same _closet! _Ha!) as me! I mean, now at least I know why it's so damn crowded in here! But hey, we'll keep each other company! I have a deck of cards in my purse, we can play some poker or something... Just be careful with those coats hanging in the back, they were just dry cleaned. **


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: G'day mates! How y'all doing in this fine morning? **

**So I have a secret to tell you... You know that whole 'Tori thinking she was a boy when she was little' bit? That is actually something based on a true story. And by that I mean that actually happened to _me _when I was three O_O Yep. Who would've thought right? So why am I revealing this? Oh, because I know nobody's reading it... I'm certain everyone and their mom completely skipped this AN and went straight to the story... you _pervs! _**

**So it's all good. My secret is safe :) Well, I had already told one of you but I trust the secret is _still_ safe T_T **

**I don't even know why I continue writing since y'all are probably even skipping through the first couple of paragraphs of the story 'til you get to the good, steamy stuff. **

**Ooooh! You know what that means?! I can say whatever I want and not be judged by anyone!**

**Boobies.**

* * *

**Tori**

"Well look at you all smiles and pink cheeks…" My mom teases as I close the front door and make my way to the kitchen where she's currently preparing some sandwiches. My smile widens even more and I have to look down, feeling my face flush impossibly hotter. "You two are so cute together." She chuckles softly and turns her attention back to the slice of bread she's smearing mustard onto. "I still can't believe that's the same girl that would often send you home crying in anger and frustration."

"Yea…" I sigh, thinking back to the days when even the mention of Jade West would make my body tremble; _Well,_ I think with a smirk,_ that hasn't really changed I guess_. "I sometimes can't believe it myself either."

"It makes sense you know?" She grins and raises an eyebrow at me as she begins slicing a tomato. "Why she always affected you so much." I give her a confused look and motion for her to continue. "Why you always tried so hard for her to accept you and why it always hurt you so bad when she didn't. Why _she_ did the things she did to you. Why she treated you the way she did. It all makes sense."

"Wha- _how? _You-you can't possibly think we felt something for each other since then?" I argue.

"Well, maybe not like what you feel _now_." She shrugs. "But there's always been that… _attraction_. That, undeniable pull, if you will." She lets out a small laugh when she sees the shock and disbelief in my face.

"Mom, she _hated _me." I exclaim. "She passionately _hated_ me." She simply chuckles again and continues slicing. "She-she poured coffee on me, pretended I punched her in the eye and almost got me _expelled_, pushed me off a three story balcony, gave me bush daisies, stole a pint of my blood, ruined my prome and stuck a shrimp in my bra - _god knows how_ - and let's not forget she's the reason I'm a sixteen year old girl with a _bald patch_ behind her ear!" I cry lifting my hair and pointing to emphasize my point.

"Wow… that _is_ pretty terrible." She says with a tsk."It's truly amazing she's been able to keep any friends at all with the way she treats people."

"Oh but see, that's the thing!" I snicker. "She never treated anyone else that bad. Nope… She seemed set on only making _my _life a living hell; saving her best –or should I say _worst_ – taunts, pranks, and abuses for me, and only me." I reach over and grab a piece of tomato from the cutting board, shaking my head and smirking as I plop it into my mouth. "For someone who hated me so much she sure did focus a lot of her attention and energy on me. Then again," I chuckle. "I _was_ there like an idiot, always coming back for more. It's as though I _liked _getting treated like crap by her 'cause that's the only way I could ever get her to pay…" I trail off, the smirk on my face vanishing. "-to pay any attention… to me…" I look up and see my mom give me a knowing smile.

"It makes sense now, doesn't it?" She says softly, with a little wink.

"But- I- she- there never was-" I stammer.

"Oh honey," she laughs. "All I'm saying is that it makes sense now why you both are so absolutely in love with one another." She places the sandwiches on two plates and sets them on the counter before turning once again to me. "You didn't fall in love with the Jade you've gotten to know these past three months, and she didn't fall in love with the Tori she finally decided to let in after all this time." I raise an eyebrow and wait for her to go on. "You fell in love with the girl whose friendship you fought for all these years, and she fell in love with the girl who never gave up on her." She smiles at me and I can't help but smile back as her words make the warmth already flowing within me glow even more.

"Look Holly! I found them!" Dad bursts in through the side door to the garage waving a black plastic bag in his hands. "I told you I would find them for tonight!" He waves it in her face like a taunting child, to which she just rolls her eyes and opens the bag of potato chips in front of her.

"What's in there?" I ask.

"Why tell you, when I can _show _you." He replies smugly. "Where's Jade? I need her help with this." He asks with a big smile.

"Jade, left already honey."

"Awwww!" he frowns. "Man, why does she always leave so _early_?" Mom and I exchange amused glances before turning back to him. "Dang it, I really wanted her to see these." he pouts as he pulls out two old-looking, gray plastic tubes with black ridges on the sides.

"What in the world are-" Before I can finish speaking, he presses a small plastic button on both tubes and flicks his wrists downward, causing long, thinner, colored plastic tubes to pop out in the form of swords. "Oh… my God." I try to fight back my snickering. "Are those… are those lifesavers, dad?" His head snaps towards me in shock.

"Life- _life… savers?" _He gasps. "Did you… did you just call these _lifesavers?"_

"Um… yea? They're the sword thingies the soldiers used on Star Wars, no?" He places one of them down and proceeds to dramatically facepalm himself.

"Oh God." He groans. "See? That's why I needed Jade!"

"Dad, we've been officially dating for less than a week, why are you suddenly best friends with Jade and know she's into Star Wars?"

"Tori, you forget I'm a _cop_. My job is to _notice _important things like that." He points out while stabbing the counter with the… sword things… causing the colored plastic to retract into the tube. "I guess I'll just have to show her next time." He huffs, putting the tubes back in the bag and heading to the living room to rifle through our many dvds.

"Are you guys gonna watch a movie?" I ask.

"Yea." Mom sighs. "Your dad is making me watch Star Wars Episode IV for the sixth time."

"I told you we'll move on to episode five as soon as you can properly quote this one." He calls out from the couch.

"But I _can _quote it, honey!" Mom answers, sending me a mischievous wink. She clears her throat, furrows her brows and lifts a hand in the air. "'May you live long and prosper'!" she exclaims in a deep voice while making some weird 'v' shape thing with her fingers. I hear dad let out a frustrated groan that is soon muffled when he buries his face into the couch.

"You know, confusing Star _Wars_ with Star _Trek_ is considered valid grounds for divorce here in California." He mutters, mom simply laughs and makes her way over to the living room with the two sandwiches in hand.

"Wow… You guys are total geeks." I laugh. "Alright well, enjoy your movie! Imma go hit the old dusty trail!" I exclaim motioning to the stairs.

"You don't wanna stay and watch the movie with us Torbear?" Dad asks looking back at me from the couch. "I'll forgive your lightsaber mishap and let you hold the blue one."

"Nah… That's ok. You two enjoy your movie night." I wave while slowly making my way up the steps. "I'm kinda tired anyway. It's-it's been an eventful day and all. So I just wanna… rest… and you know… sleep _all_ night and… stuff." _So much for acting classes, Tori._

"Ok, sweetheart." Mom blows me a small kiss. "Careful with your hand though! You don't wanna bang it up by putting too much pressure on it or something, so mind your position."

"My-my _position?" _I stammer, feeling my face burn with a blush.

"Well, yea. You tend to get kinda crazy in bed." She chuckles.

"Oh God…" I mutter, and I'm certain my face gets even redder. "Ok! I will! Bye! Goodnight! Love you!" I call out as I quickly make my way through the last couple of steps. And though those two steps weren't really too physically demanding, I find myself quite out of breath by the time I reach the top landing. I freeze and gaze down the dark corridor where I can see the door to my room thanks to the dim light coming in from the windows across it.

My chest feels like the box of Jumanji as my heart beats loud, fast and hard within. My breathing is coming out in short irregular spurts and I'm seriously considering running back down to the kitchen for a brown paper bag to keep myself from hyperventilating. But that's when I realize that I'm frozen in place; not able to move my feet either forward or backward.

All of the confidence from just a few minutes ago seems to have completely vanished, leaving me standing alone in the dark hallway like a complete, nearly-hyperventilating idiot.

And it's kinda silly if you think about it. I mean, my mom didn't mean anything by what she was saying; she was simply warning me to be careful with how I slept to not cause further injuries to my hand. But of course my mind interpreted the words in a completely different meaning. Reminding me of who exactly was waiting up here for me and with what purpose, which I'm certain poses as much more of a threat to my hand than sleeping.

"Come on, Tori." I tell myself quietly. "It was _your _idea! You wanted this! You _still _do!"

_Oh God, but what if I mess it up? What if I'm no good? Oh fudgestick! What the hell have I done?_

I finally manage to move just a bit to the right and grab onto the wall for support, pressing my bad hand to my chest where I can feel my heart going a hundred beats per second as I try to regulate my chaotic breathing.

_You and your stupid impulsive decisions, Tori. You should know by now not to do chiz like this!_

_Well, if after almost 17 years of making the same kind of mistake over and over again you don't learn, I really doubt there's much hope left now._

_Of-freaking-course… Every time I'm nearing a nervous breakdown or panic attack, I can be sure to count on my loving voice of reason to come and save the day._

_Alright, wipe the sarcasm dripping from your mouth and tell me why you're freaking out about this so much?_

_Why? I mean, really? Why do you think?! I'm supposed to go in there and… and… _do _stuff with Jade! I-I can't… I don't think I'm ready!_

_You didn't seem so hesitant with that jerkwipe, Steve._

_But, it was different with him! I just wanted to see what all the fuzz was about and get it over with. But with Jade… It's more than that. Once we do this… everything changes._

_Well, that's good! You want to move forward, don't you? And you know that Jade loves you, and you love her-_

_But Jade has so much more experience in this than I do!_

_Well, not really. I mean, she's never been with a girl before, so she'll probably be as bad and awkward as you!_

_Gee, thanks. _

_Don't mention it. Although, I don't know… Now that I think about it, maybe you're right; Jade _does _seem like the type that would just be a natural at stuff like this, you know?_

_Oh God… _

_Yea, you know what? Maybe this isn't such a good idea._

What_?! You're supposed to convince me that it is and help me conquer my fear! _

_Well, you forget darling that we _are _just the same person here. This is just the psychotic way you tend to work through your problems. But clearly you're really, _really _not sure about this to the point that even your subconscious is suggesting you don't go through with it. _

_So that's it? I-I just don't do it? I just go in there and… and tell her that I changed my mind? _

_Maybe she'll be happy with just cuddling or something?_

_Oh for the love of tofu, what a goddang mess… _

_Do you really want to rush things and risk losing everything you've worked so hard to achieve?_

_…No, I can't have that. I _definitely _can't have that._

_She'll understand, she'll have to._

I let out a sigh and push myself off the wall, slowly making my way to my bedroom door. I place my shaking and sweaty hand on the copper handle and after taking one last deep breath I quietly push the door open and step inside.

It would be completely dark if it weren't for the moonlight shining through the open curtains, giving the room an enchanting glow that reminds me a lot of the night at the waterfall. My attention is immediately drawn to the soft pitter-patter of rain falling quietly on the roof, adding even more to the strangely alluring atmosphere. Finally, my eyes land on my bed, where I see Jade casually sitting on the edge right across from me, looking at something on her phone.

She hasn't noticed me yet. Which honestly surprises me since my heart is beating so fast and loud within my chest. So, I take the opportunity to simply allow my eyes to take her in.

I can see her damp, naturally wavy hair cascading beautifully around her tilted face. She's wearing one of the largest sleeping t-shirts I own (which _still _turned out a bit too tight around her chest area) and a loose fitting pair of black sweat pants. My eyes travel back to her face which is currently illuminated by the soft glow from her phone, a small smirk playing on her full lips as her eyes remain glued to whatever is on the screen.

The soft click of the door closing behind me is enough to make her aware of my presence. Her eyes snap up in my direction and my breath catches when I see the intensity in her green gaze.

My heart immediately slows down, almost to the point where I have to wonder if it's stopped completely. It seems as though everything that had been rushing my mind just a few seconds prior has suddenly vanished. All the anxiety, all the fear, all the arguments… gone. There's only one single thought, one single word, one single force that rids me of everything else.

"Jade…" I breathe.

"Were you expecting someone else?" She smirks; but her voice is soft and careful, as though she were afraid she'd perturb whatever it is that's currently sparking through us, which I'm certain she can feel too. I lean back against the door as we continue to stare at each other, unable to tear our gazes away while the sound of the falling rain drowns out everything else.

I feel her. Even if she's sitting seven feet away from me, I _feel _her. My whole body tingles, goose bumps rise across my skin as her eyes slowly travel down the length of my body. The sound of the lock on the door clicking into place behind me draws her gaze back to mine and my heart is jump started once again, beating faster and faster with every second that passes. I take a tentative step towards her and she smiles, which in turn forces me to take another step, and then another, because… God, I just love that smile.

As I get closer, I notice the way her chest rises and drops at a quicker than normal pace, her eyes flicking rapidly over me while her free hand clutches tightly to the bedspread below her. It dawns on me then that she's as nervous as I am; which is a bit reassuring in a way. Also the look she is giving me, which I'm certain reflects the same longing and desire as mine, is quite encouraging.

And now I'm standing right in front of her; falling rain, heavy breathing and heartbeats the only sounds floating around us.

Out of the corner of my eye I see her phone slide across the bed as her hand now joins the other one on the bedspread, grasping onto it tightly as if it were the only thing keeping her in place.

I gently cup her face in my hand and brush my thumb over her lips, watching them part slightly when she lets out an airy sigh, eyes fluttering shut as she leans into my palm. One of her hands reaches up to cover mine and then slowly travels up the length of my arm making my own eyes close and a shiver run down my spine.

Needing to feel more of her, I place my knee on the bed next to her thigh, quickly following with my other leg on the opposite side so that I'm now straddling her lap. She straightens slightly and her hands automatically find my hips. My arms snake around her neck to hold myself up as I bury my face into her hair, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply. I can smell my shampoo and body wash on her, but beneath the faint coconut and kiwi scent, is the raw, delicious, and unbelievably sexy aroma that is so unmistakably Jade.

I tangle one of my hands in her locks and inhale even deeper, while her hands travel up my back, tightening her grasp on me and bringing me closer to her, a chaotic flutter in my stomach resulting from being so enveloped in Jade.

"Mmm…" I hum into her hair. I feel her chuckle into my neck, before she begins kissing slowly just below my jaw. "God, Jade…" I breathe, eyes shut tight, skin burning everywhere it touches her.

"Your parents?" she mutters, running her tongue up to my ear, making me gasp.

"They're… they're watching Star Wars." I croak.

"They better watch all six fucking movies and the two hour documentary on the bonus disc." She grumbles grabbing my backside and dragging me forward so that I'm pressed flush against her, my thighs wrapped tightly around her hips. I let out a surprised squeal and pull back from her hair so I can look at her face which is a couple of inches lower than mine given our current position. I press my forehead against hers and bite my lower lip as she smiles back at me. "Hi." She whispers, brushing her lips over mine.

"Hi." I breathe before tilting my face to the side and capturing her lips in a slow, sensual kiss which she returns just as passionately; and even after all the times we've kissed (which have been quite a few, let me tell you…) it still feels so new and utterly amazing.

She runs her tongue across my bottom lip, but it's not to ask for permission like other people would assume. No, she just does it to give me a heads up that she's comin' in. But even with the warning, it _always _catches me by surprise when I feel it slip past my lips and hungrily meet mine. My gasp immediately morphs into a moan as she continues caressing, feeling and tasting me.

We break for air and I immediately seize the opportunity to reach down and tug at her shirt to remove it.

She smirks and quirks a playful eyebrow at me as she lifts her arms, allowing me to pull it off her.

"I don't understand why you even bothered giving me these clothes if you were just planning on ripping them off me as soon as you came in…" she teases once I throw it to the side, leaving her in a black silk bra, and the sweat pants.

"It's more fun this way." I say breathlessly while leaning back and allowing my eyes to rake over her. "It's like unwrapping a present." I add with a wink and move to take off my sweater.

"Hey!" She cries grabbing my wrists. "Who the hell said you get to open _mine_?" She sets my hands on her shoulders before dragging her own up my covered thighs and slipping them under my sweater, all while kissing and sucking on my neck.

"Well, you sure like to be thorough…" I mutter as my entire body pulsates from the feel of her hands slowly ascending on my torso, bringing the garment up with them. The warmth of her lips suddenly disappears and my eyes snap open only for my sight to be obscured by pink fabric as she pulls the sweater over my head. I gasp when I feel her lips return, pressing hot wet kisses on the top part of my breast that isn't covered by the bra, making my eyes flutter shut once again. Her hands set a burning trail on my skin as they move up my back, and before I know it, my bra's unhooked, and Jade's face is right in front of mine.

I'm breathing heavily at this point due to fear, anxiety, and excitement; also, I've learned Jade's touch does nothing but ensure lung failure.

"Are you ok?" She asks in a low raspy voice, green eyes watching me with an intensity that makes me even more concerned about my lungs.

And I know that this is it. This is the chance to back out, to tell her that I'm not ready, to ask her to wait and be patient with me. And she would. I know she would. Because that look in her eye… that _twinkle_, as Andre put it… assures me that she'd be willing to wait for me as long as necessary. She'd do it. Just for me. She'd wait 'til I was ready.

So I kiss her.

I kiss her to let her know that no, I'm not ready. That I don't think I'll ever be. That I'll never be used to the way she makes me feel. To the emotions and reactions she provokes within me. Nope. I'll never be fully ready for her.

But I'm ok with that. I'm more than ok with that.

I feel her smile against my lips as she pulls down the straps from my shoulders and tosses the bra off into the darkness. Our lips continue moving hungrily against each other and her hands resume their initial position on my hips, slowly ascending up my stomach, and circling around the swell of my now exposed breasts, making my breath hitch. Before I can even comment on who's being the tease now, she cups them firmly in her hands, causing me to break my mouth away from hers with a loud gasp. She lets out a small moan before quickly attaching her lips to my neck while her hands continue caressing them gently and roughly all at once. I wrap my arms around her and let myself drown in the amazing feeling of Jade's touch.

Her kisses are wet, hot and desperate as they travel down to my collarbone, stopping only when they reach the top of my chest. I can feel the rapid bursts of her breath fanning over my hot skin as she remains motionless, and I'm about to ask if everything's ok when her mouth suddenly latches itself onto my right breast, sucking, licking, and kissing it furiously as though it were something she'd been denied from doing for too long.

"Oh God…" I moan, throwing my head back and instinctively arching my chest into her. She quickly hooks her left arm around my waist to keep me from falling and at the same time pull me even closer. Her tongue moving ardently around my now extremely aroused nipple, and I honestly can't believe how good this feels… 'Cause holy peanut butter on rye, this chiz is amazing!

Right when I'm thinking it can't get better than this, she nips it. She freaking nips it and I feel like I'm about to blow up into tiny little pieces from the giant ball of heat that explodes inside me. I let out an animalistic growl and pull on Jade's hair to bring her face up to mine so I can savagely ravish her lips. She inhales sharply in surprise but immediately returns it just as fervently, moaning into my mouth when I, for the first time ever, completely dominate her tongue with mine.

The sound of her moaning and panting in-between kisses is getting to be too much… The fire in my stomach is slowly traveling to other places in my body and I… I just- _God…_

"Bed…" I manage to grunt. She immediately tightens her grasp around my torso and begins standing up. I quickly catch on and wrap my legs even tighter around her waist as she rises off the bed and turns around, never once breaking the kiss. She carefully sets her knees on the mattress and slowly takes us far enough into the bed to set me down. It's not until I feel the cool sheets against my bare back that we separate and I open my eyes.

Jade is hovering over me, flushed and still breathing heavily. Her eyes, dark with lust, make me tremble as she rakes them over me, finally bringing them back to gaze longingly into my own.

"You're so fucking perfect Tori…" she breathes. "You're so goddamned, fucking, perfect… in every sense of the word." She leans down to brush her lips over mine softly. "And you wanna know something else?" she asks giving me a little nip. I giggle and nod, my fingers drawing patterns up and down her sides causing her to shiver. "It is disgusting, ridiculous, and _completely _unacceptable… how crazy in love with you I am…"She whispers before leaning down to kiss me again. My already overworked heart soars and the swarm of butterflies that decided to permanently reside in my stomach must be doing a freaking mosh pit right about now 'cause it's absolute chaos in there.

"That sounds so much sweeter when I'm not all wet…" I murmur, smiling into her mouth as I remember the water balloon incident at school not too long ago when she had said the same thing about hugging me.

"You sure about that?" She whispers seductively before pressing her knee up between my legs, making me all too aware of the current… dampness… there. I feel my face heat up and I am certain she can see my dramatic color change regardless of the darkness.

"_Jade!" _I cry.

"Really, Tori?" She snickers. "You can't possibly tell me that embarrasses you! I think we're past that, don't you? I mean, you're laying _topless _underneath me as we speak!" I remain quiet and she chuckles softly before leaning down and pressing small kisses on my hands, which are currently covering my blushing face. "And they look and taste fucking fantastic…" She adds sultrily. I peek from in-between my fingers and see her staring down at me with an amused look on her face.

"Which reminds me," I say tightening my hold on her hips with my legs. "I haven't finished unwrapping _my_ present yet…" I then use my lower body to flip us over so that she's now on her back and I sitting up on her hips.

She seems a bit startled at first, but the surprise in her features soon vanishes and is instead replaced by something completely different as she drags her eyes over me, biting her lower lip and humming approvingly. I blush even more as I am yet again reminded of how very topless I am.

"Well, come one then!" I cry, folding my arms across my chest. Her smile widens and she crosses her arms leisurely in back of her head, eyes remaining glued to my chest. I scrunch my eyebrows and glance down to see that my crossed arms press my breasts together, enhancing my cleavage to make it look much more enticing than it really is. I roll my eyes and send her a pointed look. "I'm waiting..."

"For what?" she says innocently. "I've never seen a present unwrap itself before…" I scoff, fighting the smile tugging on my lips.

"You just want me to touch you…" I tease, reaching up to remove my glasses and placing them on the bedside table.

"Aww…" she pouts.

"What? You don't think I'm pretty without glasses?" I say feigning hurt.

"No it's not that. I'm just sad you're not gonna be able to see them properly." She says motioning to her breasts with her eyes.

"I'm not _that_ blind!" I grumble poking her stomach playfully. "I can see just fine. And even if I can't…" I mutter sending her a small suggestive smile. "I have four other senses I can use." I place my hands on the flat pane of her stomach and slowly drag them up, making her draw in a sharp breath.

"Maybe you can use echolocation…" She says a bit breathlessly as my hands continue their ascend. "Like bats… you know 'cause… they're blind… just like y-_ah-shit..._" She trails off, closing her eyes tightly when I position myself further down her legs and begin kissing my way up her stomach.

I reach up and run my hands over her still clad breasts and kiss the skin just below her ribcage. "What was that now?" I tease, trying to keep my own voice calm and steady. Something proving to be quite difficult when my lips are on Jade's hot skin and my hands are cupping her amazingly full, and soft breasts. I kiss and lick her bellybutton, loving the way her stomach muscles clench and tremor as I do. I move onward, letting my lower lip drag across her skin until I reach her chest, which is rising and dropping erratically at this point. I glance up at her face and see her watching me intently with dark, hooded eyes; her mouth parted slightly as she continues breathing heavily; and instead of the casual position she was in earlier with her arms loosely folded behind her, I now find her tightly clutching the pillow beneath her head.

And if that isn't the sexiest freaking sight, I don't know what is…

I begin kissing the swell of her breasts, marveling at how soft, smooth and warm they feel. My hands soon join me once again as I tentatively cup them, the slight pain that shoots through my bruised hand when I squeeze them quickly dissipating when I feel the hardened nipple through the delicate fabric still covering them.

"Oh fuck this shit…" I hear Jade grunt before snaking her hands behind her back, unhooking her bra, and tossing it clear across the room, then laying her very… _very…_ topless self comfortably against the pillows behind her. "Your goddamn teasing was killing me." She says simply.

I can do nothing but stare, slack-jawed and completely frozen in place.

_Those… Those are- They're Jade's- And they look so- How are they that- Could I- Should I even-_

"I would scold you and tell you that my eyes are up here but… this is the kind of reaction I was expecting." I barely manage to register the words coming out from Jade's mouth, as my eyes remain transfixed on the beautiful perfection, or should I say _perfections, _in front of me. "They feel as great as they look, you know…" she purrs. My eyes widen and I manage to tear them away to look at Jade who smirks and winks my way before I turn back, unable to say, or do, anything."For fuck's sakes…" she groans reaching out, grabbing my face and pulling me closer to her so that I have no choice but to look directly into her eyes. "Vega, listen to me. I know how mesmerized you must feel by these new… _revelations_." She starts. "I'm well aware of the fascinating and captivating effect they have, 'cause I mean," she adds with a laugh. "we both know how much I abuse the shit out of the power they have over people for my own selfish needs and all… But right now," her smile fades and her tone turns serious. "Right now, I... Need you... To touch me..." She whispers, eyes boring into mine. I think I must've nodded because she smiles and leans in to give me a quick but very passionate kiss that leaves me a bit lightheaded.

She then moves her tight grasp from my wrists to my hands and gently pulls me forward, pressing my palms onto her stomach and dragging them up slowly, never breaking eye contact. My breathing comes out heavier and heavier the further up we go, and if Jade's stomach's agitated movements beneath my hands are any indication, I'd say she's quite worked up herself. My fingertips brush the bottom of her breasts and her hold on my hand tightens before she guides them the rest of the way until I'm fully cupping them. Her eyes roll back as she drops her head onto the pillows beneath her with a sigh.

"_Fuuuck_…" she moans, arching up her back and pressing my palms even more into her.

And I swear I could have come from that sight alone. It's certainly enough to snap me out of this stupid catatonic state I'm in.

My hands start moving frantically on her, eliciting many more favorable grunts and moans from the both of us. And I can't believe just how amazing her breasts are… I mean- I never really understood guys' fascination with them, you know? I always thought it was kinda weird and perverted how hung up on boobs they seemed to be – but now…

"God, Tori!" Jade gasps when I hungrily attach my mouth to one. Her hands tangle into my hair to hold me down. _Pfft_, as if I were planning on going anywhere… I'm getting as much pleasure from this as she is, it seems. And now I'm desperate to see how she reacts to my touch in other parts of her body. I _need_ to touch her… I need to touch her _everywhere_. I just- God, this need is becoming nearly unbearable…

I pull away from her chest and kiss my way across every inch of skin I come in contact with. The feel of her, the taste, the way she looks when I do something she likes and when I do something she _really _likes is unbelievably addicting. I'm burning up, and Jade's skin feels equally as hot when I touch it, which I come to realize must also have something to do with the fact we're both still wearing freaking _pants! _Nope. That needs to be fixed right _now._

I hook my fingers around the top of her pants and her eyes snap open, looking at me wide and curious. I lean down and press a small kiss on her hipbone, making her shiver. Without a single word she lifts her hips and allows me to pull the sweat pants off her. I absentmindedly toss them off the side of the bed from where I'm kneeling, my eyes fixed on the long, pale and toned legs that stretch out in front of me. I drag my gaze up their length, taking in every perfect detail up to her matching black laced panties. I place my hands on her soft ankles and start trailing them up when she lifts one of her legs and presses her foot into my stomach, halting me from any further movement.

"Aren't we forgetting something?" She murmurs with a seductive smile as she slides her foot down my stomach 'til it hooks onto the waistline of my yoga pants, pulling them down slightly as she does so. My breath catches and I have to bite my lower lip to suppress a moan when her foot continues its downward descend, lightly brushing into my center with her toes. She smirks and very suggestively motions with her finger for me to come to her.

It takes less than two seconds for me to kick off the useless garment, leaving me in only my white and yellow striped panties, and I don't know if it's due to the excitement or adrenaline rush, but all pain in my hand is forgotten as I hastily crawl over her body to crash my lips into hers. She tangles her hands in my hair and responds just as effusively to the kiss as we become a tangled mess of pale and tanned limbs.

"I want you, Tori." She pants in-between kisses, nails digging into my skin as she drags them up my back. "I want you so fucking bad…"

And it's the urgency in her words, the sheer need and yearning in them… that makes my head spin, my breath hitch and my limbs tingle. I push off slightly so that I may look into her eyes, which shine with the same feeling her words possessed.

But it goes beyond physical want. Surpassing carnal pleasure and lust.

No, it's something much deeper and meaningful.

It's passion without restraint, an unquestioning love, an… an undeniable pull.

_"…there's always been that…_ _attraction. That, undeniable pull, if you will – You didn't fall in love with the Jade you've gotten to know these past three months… You fell in love with the girl whose friendship you fought for all these years, and she fell in love with the girl who never gave up on her."_

My mom's words echo in my head as I look at the girl before me. The girl that makes me feel things I never knew possible, things that sometimes make me question my sanity. And I want her too. I've wanted her for a long time now, I just didn't know it. I didn't understand it.

"I'm yours Jade…" I whisper as I gaze into her eyes. The same eyes that once glared at me with loathing and hatred, now glow with devotion and love. "I'm yours to have."

I kiss her, much softer and slower, but with as much passion and love as before. Every touch, every kiss, every caress is deliberate. Everything around us seems to slow down as well. Soft breaths, subdued moans, and quiet whispers dissipate under the sonance of the falling rain.

I would have missed the way Jade's breath hitched when my hand tentatively slipped under the fabric of her panties had her mouth not been by my ear as I kissed her neck. My own breath falters when my fingers are greeted by a slick heat that makes my own core ache. I run my fingers down her center, and then up again, marveling at how her body reacts to me. And I don't mean it in an arrogant way or anything, I just… I find it utterly amazing and unbelievable that I am capable of having such an effect on her.

She must have expected me to explore or tease her for longer, because when I slip a finger into her she gasps and arches violently into me, her legs immediately wrapping around my waist as I lay atop her.

_"Jesus Fucking Christ on a goddamned manger-" _she grunts through gritted teeth while burying her face into the crook of my neck. "Vega I- _gah_…" Her arms slip between mine and she grasps me tighter when I add another finger and start curling them inside her, feeling her slippery walls enclose them fully. I let out a breathy chuckle into her neck at her words, resuming my kisses along her jaw as I continue moving in and out of her at a steady pace. Letting her sighs, moans, and breathless whispers guide me.

It doesn't take long. She's panting heavily into my ear, curse words infiltrating her gasps along with the constant repetition of my name when I feel her begin to tremble, and I know she's close. I prop myself up on my elbow and use my free hand to move some hair off her sweaty and flushed face. Her eyes open and lock with mine as she continues moaning and whimpering beneath me, the heat and wetness between my own legs increasing solely from seeing her in this state.

"I'm yours." I whisper looking deep into her beautiful green eyes. "And you're mine." On that I flick and press into her clit with my thumb while increasing the speed of my fingers inside her. She lets out a long broken gasp and her eyes screw shut, her whole body arching into mine as her walls close in tightly around my fingers. Her mouth opens in a silent scream that has her throwing her head back, small scattered whimpers leaving her lips as I slow down the movement of my fingers, helping her ride her orgasm out as long as possible.

Finally her body relaxes and she collapses back into the bed, arms falling limply to her sides as she struggles to regulate her breathing. I sit up and gently pull my fingers out from her, causing her to moan in a way that sends goose bumps rippling across my skin.

I turn my attention to my hand, slick with Jade. And I can't help myself; I bring the fingers up to my mouth and delicately lick them clean, eyes fluttering shut with a moan when I savor the unbelievable taste that is Jade.

When I open them I see her watching me with an unreadable expression. I begin to freak out for a second thinking that maybe she was grossed out by what I just did but before I can think of what to do or say she has me pinned down on the bed and is kissing me with fierce passion.

She doesn't utter a single word. Just continues kissing, sucking and licking me everywhere she can manage while her hands touch, squeeze and scratch. I can do nothing but surrender to the beast currently possessing the girl on top of me. I find myself grasping tightly onto the crumpled bedspread as Jade begins pressing slow teasing kisses up my legs, alternating between one and the other until she reaches the top. She then runs her tongue smack up the center, right over my already soaked panties, making my knees tremble.

"Oh _Jade…" _I moan. She smirks evilly and continues pressing hot, sloppy, open-mouthed kisses over the material, driving me absolutely insane. "Jade…" I pant through gritted teeth. "Take them… _off…"_

"What? You didn't actually think I wouldn't get you back for all your fucking teasing earlier?" She smirks while slowly dragging a finger down my clad center making me whimper. She chuckles and runs it up again, kissing and nipping at my thigh.

"Jade for the love of-" I growl, throwing my head back and covering my face with a pillow which I suddenly find myself pressing tightly into to keep from screaming when I feel Jade move the material to the side and swipe her tongue firmly against me.

"_Mmmph!" _I grunt into the pillow when her tongue begins circling and sucking on my clit. My thighs immediately shoot up only for her to hook her arms around them and bring them down, never once separating her mouth from me. She's sucking, and licking and nipping and flicking… and I can't even concentrate on anything other than the immense pleasure I'm feeling. I forget about everything and everyone and succumb completely to Jade's touch.

"You might wanna bite down on that pillow again…" She warns huskily.

And even if I had had the energy and strength to respond, she gives me no opportunity to do so as I'm suddenly overtaken by unimaginable pleasure when she slips two fingers inside me.

"Ohmy_Goooooood_…" I moan before weakly pulling the pillow back over my face, muffling the remainder of my many unintelligible noises. Her tongue reattaches itself to my little nub as her fingers move quickly and skillfully inside me.

_It's too much. _

_It's too freaking much…_

_She's gonna kill me._

_I'm gonna die naked on my bed._

_I'm gonna die naked on my bed from sex._

My whole body suddenly tenses up, muscles clenching and contracting. I let out a long guttural moan that turns into a breathless whimper when I'm suddenly enveloped in a bright white light as shocks of electrifying pleasure sweep my body over and over and _over _again.

_I died._

_I'm dead._

_I'm dead and I couldn't be happier._

"Hey…" A faraway voice, that somehow sounds extremely close, whispers before small kisses are being pressed into my shoulder. I reach up and pull the pillow that is still covering my face off just to see I'm still in my room, and Jade is smiling smugly next to me.

"I thought I died." I manage to croak with wide eyes. She laughs airily and buries her face into the crook of my neck.

"That good, eh?"

"That… That was... I- I can't-"I rest an arm lazily across my forehead, closing my eyes as I find myself at a complete loss for words.

"Tell me about it…" Jade breathes as she looks dreamily up at the ceiling.

"You… you too?" I ask timidly. She chuckles lightly and drapes her arm across my stomach.

"Let's just say, I wouldn't be surprised if we pull a 'Sixth Sense' twist here and we're both actually dead right now…" She murmurs into my neck, making me giggle.

"Well, if this is what it feels like to die, I would love to die over, and over, and over again…" I sigh running my fingers up and down her arm.

"Oh yea?" She snickers while twisting around and pressing small, hot kisses up my neck. "Challenge accepted." She whispers into my ear before jumping up and straddling me.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A faint beeping wakes me up.

I blink several times trying to get my eyes adjusted to the light seeping in through the windows. I twist my head to see the alarm clock on my bedside table reads seven in the morning. I sigh and let my head drop back onto the pillow, the action causing a rustle from beside me. I turn around and am greeted with the most breathtaking sight I've ever had the pleasure of waking up next to in my life.

Jade is sprawled facedown on the bed, hair tousled and splayed all over the pillow and her face. Half her body is covered by the thin sheets, leaving only her smooth, pale back exposed along with a portion of her legs. Her parted lips peak out from between her locks of hair giving her a very natural, sensual look.

God, even in her sleep she looks like a freaking goddess.

I smile and feel myself blush slightly when I see several slightly purple marks across her skin, vivid memories flashing through my mind as to how each and every single one of them came to be.

My thoughts are interrupted by the beeping sound, reminding me why I'm even awake in the first place, given the fact that we really just went to sleep two hours ago. I turn around and sweep the room for the source of the beeping 'til my eyes land on Jade's phone laying on the floor by the bed. I reach down to grab it with a grunt and flip it open, seeing she has a new notification which will keep on beeping until it's checked or the phone put on silent.

Not really feeling like going to the phone's settings to do so, I simply click on the new email notification to mark it as 'read'. I'm about to flip the phone off when the message catches my attention. I'm well aware of the fact that this message is private and I probably shouldn't be reading it, but I do so regardless.

My heart stops, my stomach lurches, and I feel like I'm gonna be sick. I read it over and over again til the words become blurry and I realize I have tears in my eyes. I remain sitting there, unable to move or do anything other than stare at the phone in my hands.

_Jadelyn, there's been a change of plans that require me to assume my position in the company sooner than expected so I flew in to Chicago last night. You and your mother are to fly out here tomorrow evening. I've arranged for the rest of our belongings to be sent out to us next week, so pack only what is necessary for the time being. I also spoke to your school and had them send your transcripts to the new one in Chicago, so everything is settled. Attached is the flight information. Be on time. No excuses._

I squeeze my eyes shut, but I can still see the words, mocking and taunting as they burn through my mind and pierce my heart.

* * *

**AN: Yes, yes... I know. You hate it when I do this. Give you happy, sexy times, just to come and be like "surprise, bitch!" all over again... I'm sorry! But I mean, you guys knew it was coming! Somehow... And what's a story without a good cliffhanger, huh? :D**

**You guys are still gonna come and leave a flaming bag of crap on my doorstep tonight, aren't you? U_U**

**Well, could you at least sneak in a review next to the bag of feces please? :} **


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Hola Coca Cola! So I've been in the middle of moving :/ and man, moving out on your own in L.A. is a **_**byatch!**_** Does anyone wanna move in with me and be my roomate?! I promise I won't cook for you and will try to not take up too much closet space! (HA!) **

**Anywho, guys! My front yard looks **_**awesome! **_**Thanks to all the flaming bags you guys sent me, I was able to fertilize the entire garden X) Haha, no but seriously! **_**Damn! **_**I was scared for my life after reading some of your reviews... :S **

**On that note, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love! (Tough love is love too) Your reviews are freaking awesome and I love you all! Yes, even those of you who threatened and insulted me... I **_**like **_**it rough ;} **

* * *

**Jade**

I wake up to warm fingers softly trailing down my arm, sliding off my hand and up onto my hip, where they continue caressing a pathway to my thigh and back again. I let out a small sigh and smile as I open my eyes and am greeted with such a beautiful fucking sight I'm certain I'm still dreaming.

Tori is laying on her side facing me, her head held up by a propped up arm while her other one is busy setting goose bumps across my skin. Her hair is tousled and disheveled, cascading messily around her. Light coming in from the window giving her body, which is loosely wrapped in a sheet with only her legs, parts of her stomach and arms visible, an outer-worldly glow that makes my breath catch.

"Mornin'." She whispers giving me a small, delicate smile.

"Mmm." I grunt in response, to which she chuckles faintly. I grab a fistful of her sheet and pull her roughly towards me, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in the crook of her neck. I inhale her deeply, her scent mixed with mine creating an aroma that makes me deliciously lightheaded. "I want to wake up to you every single day." I mumble into her neck before kissing her just below her jaw. I feel her stiffen in my arms before she tightens her grip around me, one of her hands tangling itself in my hair and pressing me further into her. I take that as a good sign and continue kissing her, moving up her neck as one of my hands slips under the sheet and skims the soft plane of her stomach. I feel her release a shaky breath by my ear as her grasp on me tightens impossibly more, before her body suddenly begins trembling against me.

_What the fuck?_

I freeze and immediately pull back when I hear her choke back a sob. She tries to pull me into her again but I manage to retract my head enough to see her face.

"Oh my God, Tor, what's wrong?" I gasp when I see how red and puffy her eyes are from crying, and I doubt it's just from these past thirty seconds. I raise my hand up to brush the hair from her face and she shuts her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Come here." I whisper as I pull her into me again and hold her firmly.

"I'm sorry…" she chokes. "I-I didn't wanna say anything… I didn't want you to get mad and-and leave!" My eyebrows furrow in confusion because I have no fucking idea what the hell is going on.

"Why would I get mad Tori?" I press a small kiss into her hair and continue rubbing circles on her back in an attempt to calm her down."I'm right here… I'm not going anywhere…" She clutches the sheets around me even tighter as her sobs begin to wreck her body violently, leaving me with no other choice but to simply sit there and hold her 'til she calms down enough to hopefully explain what's gotten into her.

A million thoughts run through my mind:

Maybe she's regretting everything.

Maybe she's realized this was all more of an experimental experience to her.

Oh God, maybe she's gonna say we would be better off as friends!

"Tori," I whisper, leaning my head against hers. "Please tell me what's going on… You're scaring the shit out of me."

She lets out a small broken sigh and reaches underneath her pillow from where she retrieves my phone and hands it to me. I take it hesitantly, waiting for her to give some sort of explanation or something, but when she remains quiet and only burrows herself deeper into me, I turn my attention back to the phone and turn it on, seeing an email message displayed on the screen.

The small sense of relief that flows through me when I realize Tori's distress isn't due to any of the reasons I feared is short-lived once I start reading through the message.

My blood runs cold and I feel my chest tighten to a point where breathing becomes an extremely difficult task. There's a sharp ringing in my ears as a heavy feeling of dread consumes me. I shut my eyes tight, willing my lungs to resume their normal function.

_That fucker. That mother_fucker…

The phone rolls off onto the floor when I stumble off the bed, the white sheet barely clinging to my body as I clumsily cross the room. Tori's hands fallling limply to her sides when I slip from her embrace, while she silently follows me with her gaze. I hastily push the window open and stick my head outside, gasping for air; feeling as if I were choking and fighting back sobs… But for some reason I can't seem to be able to produce any tears; or cry out for that matter. I'm just… I don't know what the fuck I am.

I turn away from the window since the cool air is doing nothing but make my suddenly clammy face feel even hotter. I let myself slide down the wall, until I'm crumpled on the floor by Tori's desk, clutching the sheet tightly around me.

"What now?" I hear Tori mumble from the bed after several minutes of deafening silence. I lift my gaze from where I've been staring at one of my discarded boots on the floor, and see that she's laying motionless on the bed, blankly staring up at the ceiling.

"I… I'll talk to him." I mutter. "He'll have to understand."

"You've tried that." She says dryly.

"Then I'll fucking go and _make _him understand." I snap, the tone losing its bite when my voice cracks. She lets out a humorless laugh and covers her face with her hands.

"You're actually gonna go…"

"Does it look like I have a goddamned choice?"

"Yes!" she cries sitting up on the bed.

"God, Tori…" I groan slamming my head back against the wall with a thud. "We're _not_ running away! This isn't some fucking movie or romantic novel in which we can just run off into the sunset and live off our love forever and ever!" I spit, my words dripping with bitter sarcasm. "This is real life, and it fucking sucks. But we don't have any others to choose from."

I look back down at the floor, not daring to glance at her face because I know… I _know _the look in her eyes will just finish destroying my already obliterated heart.

"You seem to have already chosen yours though…" she whispers after what seems like an eternity, voice raw and broken, before she gets up and quickly walks into the bathroom. I flinch and close my eyes at the sound of the door slamming shut behind her.

I bring my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms tightly around myself and set my head down with a sigh.

Ok, so I sounded like a total bitch just now but, what can I do? I mean, seriously, what the fuck does she expect me to do? I obviously don't like this anymore than she does… Hell, I fucking hate this with all the passion I posses in my body, mind and soul combined. But that won't change anything at all.

I hear the sound of the shower being turned on behind the bathroom door, and for some reason, something within me twists in pain at the thought of her having the need to wash me off her. To rid herself of any traces my kisses and caresses left behind… As though I were already fucking gone.

My fist clench tightly around the sheet when I stand on my feet and stomp over to the bathroom door, determination evident in my stride. To do what? I don't know.

I stop short when I hear the faint, but very distinctive, sound of crying coming from inside. My sudden and irrational anger immediately dissipates as I rest my forehead on the door, closing my eyes and feeling my heart contract within my chest.

This shit is fucked up. And it's fucking us up as well.

I can't let that happen. I can't let it take from me more than it already is.

I twist the doorknob and sigh in relief when it easily turns to allow me inside. I step in quietly and carefully, my eyes quickly adjusting to the dim and foggy light and the steam rising from behind the shower curtain. I drop the sheet onto the floor and cautiously step into the shower. Tori is standing with her back towards me, facing the wall as the water pours down on her body. Her head is hung low, shoulders shaking as her quiet sobs rattle her body. I gently pull the curtain closed, engulfing us in a cloud of mist and steam as I step up to her and slide my hands around her waist, gently pulling her into me until our bodies are pressed together. I press my face onto her shoulder, the water enveloping us both as I press small kisses on her soft skin. She turns around in my embrace and wraps her arms around me, frantically pulling me to her and burying her face into my neck as her sobs turn into full blown crying.

"You're mine, Jade." She whimpers into my skin. "You're mine…" I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling that goddamned burning sensation build behind my eyelids while I hold her just as desperately.

We stand that way for what seems like hours but could perhaps have been only a few minutes, until Tori's cries diminish into small hiccups and broken sighs. I pull back slightly and use my index finger to tilt her face up so I may look at her. Her gaze remains downcast before she slowly drags it up to meet mine.

There's nothing I could possibly say to make any of this better. To make it hurt less, to make it less real.

So I don't.

I remain quiet and simply allow my eyes and mind to soak her in. I lean back against the cold, tile wall behind me and pull her close, so that we're merely inches apart. I take in every single detail of her face as I drag my finger across her eyebrows, down her nose, around her cheekbones, over her lips… Tracing, memorizing –_admiring– _the sheer perfection that is Tori Vega. Her eyes flutter shut; tears, conveniently camouflaged by the falling water, slipping from her eyes while I use my other hand to move aside the wet locks of hair clinging to her face, tilting it back enough to allow my lips to map every curve and dip on her neck.

Her own hands reach up and bury themselves in my hair, pulling me into her, her face pressed against the side of mine; our bodies now fused together as the water cascades around us. Nothing more than loving caresses and kisses are shared. The need to simply be in each other's presence outweighing everything else.

Forty minutes later, I'm sitting on Tori's bed, dressed in my clothes from yesterday, watching her as she sits at her vanity table, running a brush through her damp hair. I get up and head over to her, kneeling down just behind her so that our gazes meet through the mirror. Her eyes are dark and tired, but still she manages to smile when I kiss her shoulder and rest my chin on it.

"Tell your parents I'm kidnapping you for the rest of the day." I tell her softly. She gives me a faint nod as I climb back up to my feet, placing a small kiss on her cheek before grabbing my bag and heading to the window.

"Jade…" I stop and turn around just for two warm hands to hold my face in place while soft lips press urgently against my own. I stumble a few steps backwards 'til my back hits the wall and melt into the kiss. "No matter what happens…" she whispers into my lips. "I'm not losing you." I lean my forehead against hers.

"And I'm not letting you go." I tilt my head and kiss her with as much love and passion as I can pour out, wanting her to know how true my words are.

I climb down the tree and head to my car, which I had parked around the block so the Vega's wouldn't see it and become suspicious. I give Tori a few minutes to finish getting ready and let her parents know she's going out before I pull up into her driveway. A few seconds later she's walking out and climbing into the passenger seat, looking over at me and smiling softly. I gaze back at her through my sunglasses and return the smile, sliding my hand over her still bruised one, feeling the smooth, warm and delicate skin below mine – and God, was it just a few hours ago that I felt her entire body pressed against me? Writhing in pleasure as I my hands, lips and tongue explored every single inch of it.

Was it really just last night that every thought and feeling in my body and mind pertained solely to her? To her caresses and kisses and whispers… To the feel of her on me, beside me, _inside_ me… My eyes flutter shut as the memories flood me; causing a renewed heat to spread across my entire body.

"If things weren't as shitty as they are," I say, interlacing our fingers and delicately running my thumb over her knuckles. "I'd tell you last night was, beyond a doubt… the _best, _most _perfect_ night of my life."

A soft smile ghosts over her lips as she looks down at our intertwined hands.

"And if things weren't so unbelievably terrible," she slowly brings her eyes up to meet mine. "I would probably not have let you leave the bed all day today…" she whispers, small playful smirk forming as she does so. I chuckle and lean in to kiss her. Her free hand immediately cups my cheek as she twists in her seat to meet me halfway.

"How 'bout you and I get ourselves a nice little motel room…" I purr, dragging my lips and pressing small open-mouthed kisses across her face. "…and we see how loud I can make you scream my name when there's no pillow over your face..." I immediately feel her skin heat up at my words, and I know she's blushing.

"A _motel_? Really, Jade?" She complains breathlessly as the hand that was previously on my cheek now slowly makes its way up my thigh.

"What? I've always wanted to do it in a motel…" I state innocently, grabbing a fistful of her shirt to pull her closer as I now caress her face with my own.

"But it's so dirty and slutty…" she sighs, twisting her head to attach her lips to my neck while dangerously dipping her hand between my legs. "Definitely no place for a lady such as myself…"

"Says the _lady_…" I moan when she firmly runs her fingers up the center seam of my leggings."…who's feeling me up outside her parent's house in broad daylight."

She gasps and all but throws herself to the other side of the car. Quickly looking out the window to make sure we haven't been caught, and I can't help but laugh at how absolutely terrified she looks. I pull out the driveway and begin driving down the street, my laughter increasing when she playfully slaps my thigh and pouts.

And I realize that these little moments; where it's just me and her screwing around…These little snippets of time which I've come to live for, could be all but memories in a matter of hours. My smile fades as I look ahead at the road, the feeling of dread from earlier slowly creeping in to my chest once again. I know Tori feels it too because she delicately reaches for my hand and takes it into her own.

"So where are we going?" She asks, with an evident strain in her tone.

"We're gonna stop by my house so I can change first," I tell her, turning left onto my street. "I don't really feel like spending the entire day in this smelly over-sized pizza uniform."

"I could have let you borrow something of mine."

"My dear, Vega. My girls need to breathe…" I smirk.

"You could've just stayed shirtless then…" she giggles.

"Oh, I bet you would've like that, huh?" I chuckle pulling into my driveway. I turn off the car and sigh as I gaze at the tall, dark, empty building I've called 'home' for the past 17 years, looming before me. "Come on."

We make our way inside, and I try to pay no attention to the lack of furniture in the living room, or the stacks of boxes lined up against the walls. I keep my eyes fixed on the hallway stretching in front of me as I firmly pull Tori by the hand. I swing open my bedroom door and quickly close it once we're both inside, pressing my head against the wooden frame as I try to regulate my breathing, which I hadn't even noticed had suddenly gotten so worked up.

"You ok?" Tori whispers softly before putting her arms around my waist. I nod and place a hand over hers on my stomach.

"This fucking sucks, Tor." I mumble, lifting my head a little just to bang it back into the door. "I can't do this. I just… I can't."

"Jade?" a voice calls from the other side of the door.

"Ah _fuck._" I groan slamming my head even harder against the wood. "Just what I fucking needed."

"Is-is that your mom? I thought you said she worked on Saturdays!" Tori stammers.

"Well, she probably got the day off given the fact that we're fucking leaving tomorrow…" I snap, spinning around and stomping over to my bed where I plop down on the bare mattress just as the door opens.

"Jadelyn, I-" my mom trails off when she sees Tori standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Uh… Hi Mrs. West." She mumbles sending her a quick and awkward wave. Mom looks at her curiously, the same amused grin she had last time they met ghosting her lips.

"Hello." She says before turning her attention back to me, and I can't help but notice how fucking weird she looks in the casual clothes she's wearing. Tennis shoes, jeans, plain t-shirt and hair tied back in a loose ponytail… she actually looks like a – human mom?

_Human mom…what the fuck does that even mean 'human mom'?_

"Well look at you, all Sporty Spice and shit…" I mutter sarcastically. She gives me a pointed look before briefly gazing down at herself, and… smirking? Did she just fucking _smirk? _I straighten up and furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "What do you want anyway?" She looks back at me and sighs.

"Your father left to Chicago la-"

"Last night, I know. Daddy Dearest sent me an email filling me in on everything. A fucking email…" I scoff. "As if he was conducting some goddamn business deal or something."

"He sent you- I had told him not to tell you…" She sighs.

"Why? You wanted the pleasure of telling me yourself that my life is pretty much completely out of my control now?"

"That's not-"

"Whatever… Doesn't fucking matter now, does it?" I stand up, pulling off my shirt as I walk over to the closet to grab a clean one. "I'm going out." I announce once I'm fully dressed again, grabbing Tori, who is still standing there awkwardly, by the wrist and pulling her towards the door.

"Jade, wait…" My mom grabs my own wrist as I reach for the doorknob. My eyes widen in shock as I look down to where her fingers are gently wrapped around me, before dragging my gaze up to meet hers. A memory of our collision out in the hall way yesterday morning, quickly flashing through my mind. Her eyes hold the same hesitant concern they did before, and it still freaks the shit out of me.

"What?" I spit through gritted teeth, yanking my hand away. She purses her lips and looks at the ground before looking back at me.

"I-" she clears her throat. "I need… to talk to you." Her eyes quickly shift to Tori.

"Oh… I-I can leave if-" Vega starts moving towards the door but I yank her back next to me.

"No." I command, and turn my attention back to the woman in front of me. "Whatever it is you have to say, make it quick. As my time is, _literally_, running short."

She stares at me with an unreadable expression, pursing her lips and letting out a sharp breath before walking out the door and across the hall into my father's study. I'm thinking maybe she changed her mind about the whole little talking idea and am about to pull Tori along to get out of this shit hole when she quickly comes back out with a manila folder in her hand.

"This." she says, holding up the folder. "Is for you." She then extends it towards me. I eye it curiously before reaching out and taking it. "If you want it, of course."

I feel Tori's body close behind me, no doubt looking over at the object in my hands with as much confusion and curiosity as I am.

"Is this a contract to ensure my soul as well as my life will be fully yours when-" I trail off as my eyes read over the paperwork in front of me. "Wha-what the fuck is this?" I ask, voice barely above a whisper.

"Everything is already filled out." She says softly pointing to different parts on the legal document. "All that's missing is the official seal from the court and you'd officially be… an emancipated minor."

"An emanci-_what_?" Tori exclaims from somewhere next to me after a few seconds of silence while my eyes remain frozen on the forms. "What is that? Jade, what is that?" she worriedly clings to the fabric of my shirt as she looks over my shoulder trying to read the papers.

"It's-it's uh…" I stutter, completely at a loss for words as my mind is still trying to comprehend what the fuck is happening.

"It means that, should she choose to go through with it, she'll no longer be under our custody and authority." My mom answers, gaze still firmly set on me. "She'd basically be considered an adult, to go and do as she pleases without needing our consent or permission." I hear Tori gasp and her grasp on my shirt tightens. "Of course there's a bunch of exceptions and legalities that would come with it but… we could go over that later."

"But dad… dad said that he was expecting us in-"

"I didn't really tell him." She says simply. "I knew he wouldn't agree and would just make things even more complicated. That's why I arranged for his inauguration to take place this weekend so he wouldn't impose." I gape at her in shock.

"You got dad sent to Chicago early? And you got this -wait- I thought you needed both parents' consent to get one of these done." I point out shaking the folder in my hand.

"You forget that I _am_ your father's advisor and the head of legal counsel at the company." She says with a smirk and arched brow, and holy fuck this bitch is as sneaky and conniving as me… Or am _I_ as sneaky and conniving as _her?_ "Point is, as much as your father likes to think of himself as the big man at the firm just because he has a penis, I'm actually the one that calls the shots and gets things done." …_Who the fuck is this woman?! _"All it took was a couple of phone calls, reminding a judge of a favor he owes me, and I had this done by lunchtime yesterday."

"So… so what does this mean?" I ask. "You guys just leave and-and I stay here on my own-"

"Well, one of the requirements for a minor's emancipation is for said minor to be able to sustain themselves financially. Now, you also still need to remain in school and it would just be too much for you to get a job and continue focusing on your studies, so I've arranged for monthly allowances to be taken straight out of the trust fund we started for you when you were born, and put into your bank account. There is enough in there to maintain you living comfortably until you turn 18, when the remaining amount will be fully turned over to you for you to use as you wish." She takes the folder from my hands and skims through the papers in it until she pulls one out, placing it in front of the pile for me to see. "I've also worked out an agreement with the firm for you to be able to stay in the apartment we used to sublet to the interns that would work with us during the summer. It's a small studio apartment, but it's fully furnished and it's also right in the heart of Downtown, which is pretty close to your school. The lease would end a little after you graduate, and you could renew it should you choose to stay there. Until then, your father and I would take care of it so that you won't have to pay any rent or utilities. Your car would be transferred to your name as soon as you turn 18 as well." I stare at her with wide eyes, unable to say or do anything as my mind struggles to process all this information. Tori must be equally flabbergasted because she too remains quiet as Mom watches us with an amused expression on her face.

"Why… why are you doing this?" I mumble quietly looking down at all the papers splayed in front of me, then lifting my gaze to meet another one much like my own. She stares at me for a few moments, finally looking away and sighing.

"I just-" she shifts uncomfortably on her feet before once again meeting my eyes. "I just didn't think it was fair… To you." I almost laugh.

"You-you didn't think it was _fair_ to me?" I scoff. "Since when do you even… when did you even start-" I splutter idiotically. My mind reacting the only way it knows how to when confronted with foreign emotions. "You don't even care about me!" And you'd think saying it would be easy after knowing it to be a fact for so many years, and yet hearing the words out loud brings a twinge of pain to my chest.

There's a voice in my head yelling at me to shut up, take what is being offered and just fuck the reasons! But something even deeper is pulling at me, _needing_ to know. Aching for an explanation.

Is this a way to get rid of me once and for all? To not have to put up with me? But then, why not just leave me behind and let me figure my own shit out? Why go through all this fucking trouble?

"You didn't have to do any of this… All this legality bullshit and apartments and money… Why-why are you doing this?" I repeat, chastising myself for allowing my voice to crack at the end.

She sighs and awkwardly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yesterday morning, when-when I saw you I-" She lets out another sigh and leans heavily against the wall behind her. "I realized that you're… you're- God, I don't know how to fucking do this…" She grunts. "I just- I _knew _that it was wrong… Not only the whole moving you to Chicago but _everything. _And, this…" she motions to the papers. "…this is all I know. Legalities and bullshit." She adds with a faint smile. "That is all I know. I went to school for it, I got a degree, I was the best in my goddamned class! It's easy and natural and I'm actually really fucking good at it as you can see." She slumps against the wall again and closes her eyes. "Being a mother however… Now that's something else entirely." She murmurs. "I hate failure. To me it always signified weakness and was unacceptable. So when I saw how bad I was at this…" she motions between her and myself. "…I just- well lets just say I'm surprised you turned out this well after all the shit you've had to endure." She says with a faint chuckle; but the shimmering in her eyes… the way they glisten with unshed tears make my own insides quake. I have to tear my gaze away and blink several times to keep my own fucking emotions at bay. "I'm not doing this with the delusional hope that you'll somehow forget the past 17 years of your life and we'll become the best of friends and go get pedicures and manicures or go shopping on the weekends." She says and I scoff. "Even though I have a feeling that wouldn't be much your style anyway." She snickers and I have to fight back the small tug at the corners of my lips. "I'm doing this because I know it's the right thing to do." she continues. "And because maybe... maybe one day you'll think back and not hate me so much." She smiles, and even though she's trying to treat it as a joke, I can see the sincerity of her words clinging to the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

I remain quiet. Mostly because I can't bring myself to say anything. This is all too much to process, and I… I just really don't have the energy after the emotional fucking roller coaster these last couple of days, weeks and even months have been.

"So if this is what you want…" she says pushing off the wall. "Say the word, and it's done."

"Yea." I state after a brief moment of silence. "This is what I want."

"Ok." She smiles faintly and begins walking off into the study. "I'll make sure it's all taken care of before I leave tonight."

"Wait, tonight? I thought you were leaving tomorrow… What's gonna happen with my stuff and-"

"I changed my flight to tonight so I could have more time for damage control with your father since I pretty much figured you'd say yes. And I'll hire some movers to come and take everything to the apartment Monday afternoon to give you time to pack all your stuff up, ok?"

"And you're sure dad isn't gonna come and try to fuck everything up later?"

"He'll probably be pretty upset." She chuckles. "But I have enough dirt on him and his precious company to keep him at bay." She adds with a wink. "Alright, well, I still got a lot of things to do around here and I'm sure you girls have plans and stuff so…" She looks at me and smiles faintly. "We'll stay in touch yea?"

I swallow a lump in my throat and nod quickly, looking down at my shoes. Suddenly a squeal is heard from somewhere behind me and before I know it, Tori all but tackles my mom into a massive bear hug. Her eyes open wide as she awkwardly places her arms around the girl in front of her and I can't help but smirk at how much of myself I see in the woman… and for the first time ever, the thought doesn't make me wanna puke.

"Thank you, Mrs. West! Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" She whispers loudly into her hair.

"Oh, uh… you-you're welcome." Mom stammers, stiffly patting Tori on the back.

"Alright…" I mumble as I go and begin trying to pry her off. "Tori. Tori let go." She finally releases her and turns to me with an enormous smile on her face. "Vega, I'm gonna grab some stuff real quick, I'll… I'll be out in a minute, ok?" She scrunches her eyebrows in confusion until I give her a pointed look.

"Oh! Yes, yes! I'll be out in the car." She exclaims clapping her hands together. "To the car I'll go and in the car I shall be!" She chants as she turns to my mom and once more envelops her in a hug. "Mrs. West, always a pleasure!" She exclaims pulling back and mouthing one last 'thank you' before walking backwards down the hallway, silently cheering and fist-bumping the air behind my mom so that only I can see her. I roll my eyes, unable to fight the smile pulling at my lips.

Once she disappears around the corner I turn to my mom and see her shaking her head and sporting that amused smile she seems to only use for Tori.

"Why do you do that?" I ask.

"What?"

"Look at her like that." She chuckles and shakes her head again.

"I just… I don't know." She grins and shrugs. "She's just so… not… you?" I raise an eyebrow and look at her questioningly. "I guess I just never pictured you with such a… colorful and huggy and-"

"Annoyingly-happy-shooting-rainbows-and-sunshine- out-of-her-ass kind of girl?" I smirk. "Yea… you and me both."

She lets out a hearty laugh and _holy fucking shit_ she is actually laughing! That makes it impossible for me to not smile in return. And I wonder if this weird warmth in my chest is what it feels like to not hate your parents…

"She makes you happy though?" she asks with a smile once her chuckles die down.

"More than anything." I respond quickly.

She inhales deeply through her nose and smiles even wider.

"Good. I'm really glad she's in your life."

"Thanks." I mumble, after a few seconds of awkward silence. "Thanks for… for doing this." She purses her lips and nods. "I'm-I'm really glad you're not a total bitch like I thought you were." I blurt out.

She lets out another small laugh and moves to stand directly in front of me.

"Well, I just think it's unfortunate that it took me so long to stop acting like it…" She says softly. "Take care of yourself, Jadelyn." She stretches out a hand and I hesitantly take it; shaking it firmly as though we were closing out a business deal. And I can't help but feel a small twinge of disappointment that it probably wasn't more than that.

I walk outside and immediately slide on my aviator sunglasses to shield my eyes from the bright California sun. I drop into the driver's seat and start the car, ignoring the bouncy brunette with the shit-eating grin staring at me from the passenger's seat as I shift gears and reverse out of the driveway.

It's not until I stop at a light in an empty street that I slowly and teasingly turn my head and let the smile that's been dying to appear grace my lips.

Tori lets out a squeal, so high and shrill that I'm certain every dog and infant within a ten mile radius is currently howling and going fucking nuts, before she hurls herself over at me. She manages to awkwardly sit on my lap and begins peppering my entire face with kisses, yelling a variety of '_oh my god'_, '_I can't believe it_', '_is this really happening'_, '_I'm so happy I think I'm gonna puke', _and '_pinch me 'cause I think I'm dreaming'…_

The last one to which I happily oblige.

"Hey!" She cries, swatting my hand away from her leg.

"Yep. Seem pretty awake to me." I say pressing my forehead against hers and smiling.

"I still can't believe it." She breathes, cupping my face with her hands.

"Well, you better, Vega. 'Cause you're stuck with me now…" I whisper before gently brushing her lips with mine.

"Is that a promise?" She smirks while sucking on my bottom lip.

"No," I snake my arms around her waist and pull her close. "It's a threat."

Our lips collide hungrily against each other, eliciting heavy moans and whimpers from us both as all the uncertainty, fear, and dread from before is released through the pure love and passion being poured into the kiss.

An annoying honking coming from behind us causes Tori to break away from me and stick her head out of the window.

"_Go around!_" she screams, turning back and hitting the emergency brake lights before desperately resuming the kiss.

"This is illegal, you know?" I pant as she pushes me back against the seat with her own body weight; lips sucking on my neck while her hands shamelessly grope my chest.

"Your _face_ is illegal…" She counters, licking my earlobe. "Illegally _sexy…" _

"Oh, Vega…" I snort. "Have I ever told you what a fucking turn on your comebacks are?" I tangle one of my hands in her hair to press her into me as she nips the skin between my neck and shoulder.

"And have I ever told you how wet your sarcasm gets me?" she purrs. My eyes snap open and she freezes in place. "Oh my God, did I really just say that?" She gasps shooting up into a sitting position, cheeks turning crimson. I can do nothing but stare at her. "Jade, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to be so... so _crass_! It… it just came out and-"

"Well smack my ass and call me Sally!" I exclaim in the voice I use to mimic her. "That was some hot fucking stuff Miss Peaches!"

"_Jade_…" She whines burying her burning face in the crook of my neck.

"Holy fucking shit, Vega…" I chuckle pulling on her chin so our eyes meet. "I have to admit, that little outburst is making me wanna do really, _really _bad things to you right now…" I whisper, as my eyes flick over her face.

"Yea?" she mutters, biting her lower lip.

"How 'bout we take this party down to the fabulous Six Inns Motel down on Sunset?" I say wiggling my eyebrows suggestively. "I'll even let you order room service, from the dirty lobby downstairs, 'cause we be classy like that."

"Eww, no thanks, I'm not hungry…" She giggles and pecks my lips.

"Ok, fine, we'll skip breakfast and go straight to dessert, which I happen to still have in the trunk of my car." I smile.

"Oh? And what would _that_ be?"

"Two words." I whisper, nipping her lips at the mention of each one. "Whip. Cream."

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**AN: Love me? Love me now? Yea you do! Come on, give Wikster a squeeze!**

**Or review…**

**Yes. Squeeze out a review to show me you love me again… U_U**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: So, I was so deliriously happy with your reviews and the fact that you love me again, that I decided to give y'all a little treat ;) I wasn't really planning on continuing this chapter from where the last one ended, since I mostly just wanted to leave it to your imagination :P But seeing as many of you were kind of expecting it, I decided to dedicate this whole chapter to sexy times :} (I also didn't want to receive any more flaming bags of crap 'cause, as much as they made my yard look amazing, they completely ruined my shoes) **

**So yea, because of that, and also as a way to simply delay the inevitable end of this fic as much as possible ('cause I'm sure we're all aware that it's coming :( I mean, look how long this monster is already!) this next installment of Behind Enemy Lines is dedicated to all of you! If you're not a fan of sexy times, I should have the next chapter up by the end of the week to continue with the story ;)**

* * *

**Jade**

"I'm almost certain my date of birth is on the ID card in your hands and not on my tits." I deadpan, crossing my arms and glaring at the scrawny pervert who's shamelessly ogling my breasts. He hums some sort of acknowledgement and finally drags his beady little eyes back to the fake ID card I handed him.

"Alright, Miss… Van Cleef." He smiles, revealing a couple of missing teeth in his nasty ass mouth. And where the fuck did they get this guy? From the cast of The Hills Have Eyes? "Everything checks out. Just sign here and I'll give you your room key." He pushes some papers forward on the desk and hands me a pen.

"Oh Tori, did you need any help with the gigantic duffel bag and grocery bags?" Tori huffs as she enters the lobby, dragging a shitload of plastic bags along with my duffel bag hung over her shoulder. "Why, no Jade! It's always been my dream to get scoliosis!" I roll my eyes at her dramatics and help her set the bags down while Skippy files the paperwork.

"And why did you insist on getting everything down on the first trip?" I smirk.

"It's just more practical and saves a lot of time." She grumbles quietly, setting the duffel bag down with a sigh.

"Ooh… Don't wanna waste any time, do we?" I purr, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively. She blushes and quickly looks towards the front desk, just for her eyes to widen and face flush even more. I turn around and see Skippy giving us a knowing smile as he lets his eyes drag up and down both our bodies.

"So…" He drawls, licking his disgustingly chapped lips. "What do you ladies say I buy us some drinks from the liquor store down the street and we have ourselves a good time? My shift is over in forty minutes." He smiles and winks. I clench my fists and stomp back to him.

"Listen here, Papa Jupiter." I hiss, slamming my hands down on the desk and towering over him. "Unless you want to kiss your three remaining teeth goodbye, I'd suggest you keep your repugnant eyes to yourself, hand over my room key, and _pray_ my good mood remains so that your manager won't hear about what a fucking unprofessional pervert her white trash employee is." His eyes widen and he visibly gulps, quickly grabbing one of the keys hanging from a wooden board behind him and handing it to me.

"Room f-f-forty-eight. Second floor by the ice machine." He stutters as I rip the key from his grasp.

I continue glaring at him, slowly and threateningly moving my hand over the desk in his direction. He nervously flicks his gaze between my eyes and approaching hand as he subconsciously leans away from me. Just as I am a few inches from his face, I plunge my hand down into the dish filled with skittles in front of him, causing him to jump. I grab a handful and plop a few in my mouth, never breaking eye contact. He gives me an uneasy, crooked smile while I slowly chew on the candy, gaze never faltering. After a few more seconds of freaking the shit out of him with my mere stare, I give him a slow teasing smile. His tense shoulders start to relax and the hard lines on his face smooth out when I suddenly hurl the remaining candy in my hand at him, making him squeal in fear like a fucking little girl. I smirk and spin around, grabbing the duffel bag and my purse before heading towards the door.

I pass by Tori, who is gaping at me in shock, and give her a wink as I walk outside. She quickly grabs the rest of the stuff and rushes after me.

"Enjoy your stay at The Six Inns Motel, Miss Van Cleef!" I hear Skippy call out nervously.

"Van Cleef?" Tori mumbles.

"Sinjin got me the ID and having his stupid last name was one of the conditions to the agreement." I mutter. She shakes her head as she follows closely after me.

"Anyway, did you really have to do that?" She whispers. "The guy almost wazzed himself!"

"Good." I grunt, pressing the button for the elevator. "He was a fucking sleazeball."

"Well, yea but… I mean, what do you expect in a shady place like this?" She says looking around wearily. "I still can't believe we actually came to a motel."

"You didn't give me much of a choice with the way you were behaving in the car." I retort. "I _had_ to stop somewhere to keep from crashing because you couldn't keep your hands off me." Just then the doors to the elevator open and we step inside.

"You make me sound like some sort of crazed animal with no self-control." She snaps.

"Well…" I trail off and shrug.

"I _too_ have self-control!" she cries indignantly. I chuckle and press the button to the second floor.

"It's ok, Vega." I tease. "I would find myself irresistible too."

"You give yourself _way _too much credit…" She mumbles.

"Oh is that so?" I say while slowly walking over to the corner where she's leaning against the graffiti-covered metal wall. "Show me how _controlled_ you are…" I whisper, pressing our bodies together and bringing my face centimeters from hers. Her eyes widen as they nervously flick to my lips. I smirk and arch my eyebrow in the way I know drives her crazy, feeling her broken breath feather my skin. "Don't kiss me…" I brush her lips with mine. "Don't touch me…" I drag my free hand up her stomach and around her breast, causing her to shut her eyes tightly. "Don't –_want– _me…" She gasps when I press my knee between her legs. The elevator doors open following the loud ding and I immediately walk out, leaving her frozen in place. "We'll see how long you last." I call back as I make my way to the room, giant grin on my face.

A few seconds later I hear her shuffling out behind me, muttering unintelligible things under her breath. I walk briskly down the hall, stopping outside our door and putting down our stuff so I can open it.

"Besides," I say twisting the key and pushing open the door. "I don't know what you're complaining about; this place isn't so bad." I toss the duffel bag inside by the door to keep it from closing and make my way to the handrail just outside, motioning to the street with my hand. "I mean, look at what a beautiful view we have of Sunset Boulevard and all the drug dealers and prostitutes that make L.A. the gem that it is." I snicker and head inside. I take out the blankets from the duffel bag that we had used on our impromptu date and set them over the bed; 'cause I mean, have you heard of the shit forensic investigators find on motel's bed sheets and furniture?

"You know, you're not really one to talk…" Tori huffs setting down the bags on the small wooden table by the entrance; completely ignoring everything I just said. "If anyone here is an uncontrollable lust-filled animal, it's you!" My eyebrows shoot up and I place my hands on my hips, giving her an unbelieving stare. "Yea, that's right! Remember last Wednesday at school? When we were helping Andre strike the set after his play, and when no one was looking you pulled me into the little closet backstage and all but forced your tongue down my throat, while your hands ventured to places where access had not yet been granted!" She crosses her arms across her chest and smiles smugly.

"I didn't hear you complaining." I scoff. "As a matter of fact, if it hadn't been because of stupid Sinjin walking by, you would have easily granted me with full VIP fucking access!"

"That's… not the point! All I'm saying is that you're just as uncontrollable as I am!"she adds with a knowing grin.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, horndog…" I snicker laying down on the now covered bed, kicking off my boots, and clicking the tv on.

"That does it!" she growls before throwing herself at me. I yelp in surprise as she straddles me and pins my wrists over my head. And it's really fucking cute how she thinks her weak grasp could possibly keep me from breaking free. I decide to humor her and remain still, grinning up at her teasingly. "Admit it!" She snarls, and _damn_ that's sexy. "Admit that I drive you crazy and that you can't keep your hands off me!"

"I never claimed otherwise." I say, easily flipping her over so that now she's pinned below me. "Cause you do…" I lean down and kiss her neck. "And I can't..." I murmur while dragging my hands from her wrists down her arms and over her chest, making her breath catch. "All I'm saying is that I know how to control myself more than you do…" I place a quick kiss on her lips and roll over to lay beside her, nonchalantly turning my attention back to the tv.

"Fine." She grunts leaning up on her elbows and looking over at me. "Let's put it to a test." I furrow my eyebrows and look at her, smiling mischievously at me. She takes the remote from my hand and turns up the volume. "Every time a commercial comes out, we can do whatever we want to each other…" She slowly runs her finger across the small plastic buttons while staring at me seductively. "But as soon as the show resumes… we have to stop." She tosses the remote off to the side and crawls over to me again. "Whoever _can't _stop loses, and the winner gets to do to them, any… thing… she wants…"

I can't help but gulp and lick my lips as a result of the look she's giving me and the tone of her voice. She sees this and smiles, so I quickly mask my intimidation with my usual cockiness.

"I'm gonna enjoy this..." I breathe before leaning up and claiming her lips with mine, as a car commercial plays in the background. She gasps a bit in surprise, but it's quickly morphed into a moan as my tongue wastes no time diving into her mouth. Her hands cup my face as she deepens the kiss, while my own snake around her hips and pull them down so that she's pressed flush against me. I'm about the grab onto her backside to bring her even closer when Jerry Springer's annoying theme song comes back on the tv. She jumps off me and sits up on the bed, breathing slightly labored. She looks over at me and smiles triumphantly.

"Calm down there, sweet cheeks." I grin. "We're just getting started."

We sit in silence, only half listening to what the idiots on screen are saying. Something about some white bitch's boyfriend sleeping with her mom _and _her sister, getting them both pregnant or some shit… I can't fully concentrate on trailer trash issues when Tori is laying on her stomach in front of me, her ass staring me right in the face as her long, toned legs stretch out from under her incredibly short shorts. I have to grip tightly onto the blanket to keep from throwing myself at her.

_Shit… this is gonna be harder than I thought. _

Finally, a fight breaks out between the whore's boyfriend and one of her brothers, or maybe sons, and it cuts to a commercial. No sooner does the scene fade out that I'm quickly grabbing her ankles and dragging her towards me, not even giving her a chance to turn around. She cries out in surprise when I straddle her butt and slide my hands under her shirt, circling down to her stomach, and dragging them up her front until I fully cup her breasts. Her moan reverberating through my hands which are being tightly pressed between her body and the mattress.

"No fair, Jade…" She groans. "I can't do anything in this position."

"But I can." I whisper, nipping her earlobe.

"God…" she breathes reaching back and tangling her hand in my hair. I move from her ear down to her neck, sucking on a spot I know drives her absolutely insane. She tightens her grasp around me and moans out my name, making my entire body shake. The spot between my legs desperately crying for attention. I lift my hips and roughly grind them into her, causing us both to moan in pleasure, as I continue my ravishing attack on her neck.

"_And we're back!"_

"Nooo!" Tori groans, letting her hand and face drop down onto the blanket when Jerry's voice blares through the speakers. I let myself fall off to the side, panting heavily.

"Ready to give up?" I snicker as I try to play off how absolutely frustrated I feel as well, praying she'll just give up and we can move on from this idiotic competition. I mean, I could just give up myself, but… well, we all know I'm not about to do that.

"_No."_ she snaps breathlessly. "Are _you?"_

"Not even close." I smirk, though the increasing dampness in my pants begs to differ.

We do three more rounds. Each hotter and more intense than the last. We're both flushed and completely out of breath, and God if I don't get some form or release soon…

"_Fuck!" _I growl when Tori rips her hand out of my pants just as the show resumes while I yank mine out from beneath her shirt.

"This is ridiculous…" She groans. "We're both too stubborn and competitive to give up."

"So are you saying it's over? We're done?" I cry out happily.

"No…" she looks over at me and smiles. "I'm saying maybe we need to increase the level of difficulty." I cover my eyes and groan. "Oh, is this getting to be too much for Jadie–the-always-in-control–licious?" She taunts. I rip my hands from my face and send her a threatening glare.

"Tell me what the fuck's your plan." I deadpan.

She grabs the remote and shuts off the tv before climbing out of the bed and heading to my duffel bag, from where she pulls out my small amplifier and Pear Pod. After finding a song she likes she hooks up the device to the speaker and runs over to grab one of the flimsy wooden chairs that go with the table, all while I follow her curiously with my gaze. She sets the chair in the middle of the room, and then comes to the bed, grabs my hand and pulls me to the chair.

"Sit." She commands. And I can't help but smile as I realize what exactly she's planning on doing.

"Mmm, am I gonna get a little lap dance from Prissy Little Vega?" I purr. "Wait, let me get my dollar bills!" I go to get my purse but she firmly pushes me back onto the chair.

"Oh, you're gonna get _more _than just a little lap dance." She murmurs. I'm about to comment when she presses her index finger to my lips. "If you can keep full control of yourself throughout this, you will have passed and proven yourself, and then it'll be your turn to get me to break however you deem necessary." I bite the tip of her finger playfully as she drags it off my lips.

"And what happens if we both win… or lose?"

"I'm sure we can come up with a reward… or punishment for one another." She winks. I smile and roughly pull her down by her shirt to kiss her, breaking away as to not let things get too heated and risk losing.

"May the odds be ever in _my_ favor." I whisper in my best English accent before biting and pulling on her lower lip.

"You will _willingly_ offer yourself as tribute by the time I'm through with you." she mutters, giving me one last peck. She turns around and heads to the dresser where she set up the small amp and presses play. Immediately, the sound of high pitched strings emit from the speakers. A smile tugs at my lips and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes at how like her the song is. I open my mouth to comment on how predictable she is for choosing Toxic by none other than Britney Spears, only to almost choke on my words when she spins around to face me, just as the lyrics begin. She starts swaying seductively towards me, her face holding a playful, but oh so fucking sexy, smirk the entire time. She runs her hands slowly up her body as she stops in front of me, putting them on my shoulders and roughly pushing me back so she can straddle my lap.

"I-I thought you said no touching…" I stammer.

"I said _you _couldn't touch me…" She murmurs as she drags her hands down my chest, onto my stomach, and back up again, all while swaying her body to the beat. "I never said anything about _me_ touching _you."_

She leans in close, lips almost brushing mine as the buildup to the hook begins, just to pull away and onto her feet, spinning in a surprisingly coordinated circle right as the chorus picks up. She whips her hair and sends me a flirty wink before turning her back to me and dipping her butt low and slow, all while keeping completely in sync with the music, making me wonder if she's had this choreographed all along, 'cause holy shit she can move.

"Well fuck me sideways…" I breathe.

She stands up straight when the second stanza begins, hips continuing their delicious swaying while she slowly unbuttons her shirt, still facing away from me. She turns around and tosses her bra in my direction, her shirt now fully unbuttoned, hangs loosely open, exposing her flat, tanned stomach and just barely covering her breasts. I absentmindedly catch the garment, tearing my gaze from Tori long enough to notice it's one of those bras you can unhook from the straps… and that it's still warm.

My eyes once again turn to her, completely mesmerized as walks towards me, slowly unbuttoning her shorts, revealing hot pink boy shorts underneath. She does a little spin and her shorts drop, exposing those long, luscious legs I'd love to kiss the entire length of. I bite my lower lip and tighten my grasp on the bra as she hooks her thumbs over the waist band of her underwear, slightly pulling down on them to teasingly reveal her lower abs and top of her pelvic area as she dances her way towards me, mouthing the words '_I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're toxic?'_

She circles around me during the Bollywood-like vocal part near the end, dragging her hand across my arms, face, hair, chest, stomach - _everywhere. _My mind is spinning, my heart is racing, my lungs are aching, and my mouth is watering. Finally she stops in front of me, hands on either side of me grasping the back of the chair as she grinds the air in front of her until she's back on my lap and her face by my ear.

"With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride…" she whispers right on cue, and my eyes flutter shut, along with my willpower and reason.

_Remind me, why the fuck am I trying to resist this again? _

I drop the bra and slip my hands underneath her open shirt, my breath becoming twice as labored from the mere feel of her hot skin below my palms. She moans and takes advantage of her current position to kiss my neck, causing an embarrassingly loud whimper mixed with a sigh to escape my lips. She travels up my neck and across my jaw until she's staring me in the eye, the end of song playing in the background as she resumes her soft singing.

"Intoxicate me now… with your lovin' now… I think I'm ready now…"

"I think I'm ready now." I finish with a smirk, rolling my eyes at the cheesy smile she gives me for going along with the stupid song. I move my hands up her back and bring her closer, our lips separated by no more than a millimeter. "I think I'm addicted to you." I breathe.

"That's so cheesy…" She giggles and presses her forehead to mine.

"Wow, that must've been pretty fucking lame if _you're_ calling it cheesy…" I smirk, leaning in to get my most needed kiss, but she pulls away.

"You lost." She taunts, giving me an eskimo kiss. A fucking _eskimo _kiss. And yet, seeing as I'm desperate for anything at this point, I smile and happily return it.

"There's an _extremely_ hot, half-naked girl sitting on my lap who just danced and stripped for me… Call me a loser all you want."

"_Loser._"

"Don't push it now." I warn.

"You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" she says in a _terrible _Anne Robinson impersonation.

"Vega…"

"It's ok, West." She sneers. "I would find myself irresistible too."

I growl and stand to my feet, knocking down the chair as I carry her bridal style and swing her onto the bed causing her to squeal in surprise and childish delight.

"I bet I can break you in less than one minute!" I exclaim standing over her on the mattress. "Double or nothing that I break you in _less_ than _one minute_!"

"You haven't been able to do it in the past hour, what makes you think you'll be able to do it in less than a minute now?" She snickers, running her fingers up and down my legs as they stand on either side of her waist.

"Double or nothing." I repeat. "I do this, I win, you lose." She studies me for a few seconds, considering my proposition. "Or are you too scared you'll break?" I tease.

"As if…" she scoffs. "Alright, you're on." She grabs my phone from the bedside table and sets the timer. "One minute starting… Now."

As soon as the words leave her mouth I let myself drop down on all fours on top of her.

"_What the-_" she cries, covering her face and shutting her eyes in surprise. "You didn't mean _literally _break me did you?"

"Open your eyes, Vega! You're using up my time!"

She hesitantly opens them and looks up at me as I hover a few inches above her. She furrows her brows in confusion and is about to question me when I lean in even closer to her face. She gasps and her eyes widen, but she otherwise remains quiet and still. I do nothing but stare, boring into her eyes with my own penetrating gaze. Soon enough her confused expression softens and her eyes become fixed on mine.

See, much like my boobs, I've learned that my eyes possess the same 'entrancing' effects with people. I briefly flick them to her lips before bringing them back up to lock on hers and I know I've got her.

Her own eyes quickly dart to my lips, and right when they do, I run my tongue over the top one in the most seductive way I can possibly manage.

And it's beautiful really… the way her breath catches, her pupils dilate, and her skin flushes in a matter of seconds before she lunges up and frantically attaches her lips to mine in a kiss so heated that we both fail to notice the timer going off just ten seconds afterwards.

She manages to tear off my leggings and underwear without ever detaching her lips from mine. We inevitably have to separate in order to pull my shirt over my head, but as soon as it's off, she has me pinned down on the bed, where she then proceeds to all but rip my bra off my chest. I quickly pull her shirt off while she shimmies out of her boy shorts. Once we are both completely naked she throws herself at me, moaning when our bare bodies fully meet once again.

"Triple or nothing." she manages to pant while simultaneously placing a trail of kisses from my jaw to my chest. "Whoever manages to get the other to orgasm first… wins." She lifts her head up and looks at me.

"_What_?" I gawk breathlessly.

"You heard me…" She sighs, resting her chin on my stomach as she trails a finger over the slope of my breasts. "You make me come first, you win. But if _I _make you come first…" she lets her hand travel down my stomach and one of her fingers teasingly runs down my center.

"_Fuck, Tori!" _I cry out, throwing my head back against the pillow as tiny but electrifying pulses ripple through my body. She giggles and kisses up my stomach again while her hand rejoins the other on my breasts.

"So what do you say?" She purrs, softly kissing around my nipple. "Triple or nothing?"

"You are a whole different level of unhealthy competitive, you know that?" I mumble, still trying to catch my breath.

"Oh come on, Jade!" she laughs. "Judging by the state you're in… it shouldn't take long." She adds smugly.

I narrow my eyes at her and push off the bed, our bodies colliding in a massive explosion of pent up lust and desire; 'cause if this isn't considered the longest and most sexually frustrating foreplay known to mankind, I don't know what is.

I pin her down and hold her wrists off to the side while driving a knee in-between her legs, gasping at the incredible wetness it finds there.

"Well you sure ain't that far behind…" I tease pressing even further against her. She cries out and instinctively grinds herself against my thigh. I bite my lower lip trying to suppress a moan from seeing her laying there, naked, body squirming in pleasure. I lean down, desperate to kiss her, to taste her, to feel her pressed against me. "Tori…" I breathe into her lips, moving my hands up her body, feeling how smooth, hot, and sweaty she is; and it makes my entire being tremble. "God, what the fuck do you do to me, Vega?" I moan, dragging my lips across her jaw and continuing to press firmly into her.

I must've forgotten I'm no longer holding on to her wrists, because I don't even notice when one of her hands slips down until I feel it slip past my stomach and in-between my legs. I let out a sharp breath, burying my face into her neck. She circles my clit a few times, pressing into it every so often, which in turn causes my leg to jerk against her.

"_Shit."_

"_Mmph." _

My breathing is coming out faster and faster, as the pressure below me intensifies. I can feel Tori's chest pounding just as fiercely against mine, and I know it's just a matter of seconds before we both topple over the edge.

"Jade…" She pants, voice hoarse and raw. I lift my head and press my forehead against hers, our breaths feathering our faces as we gaze at each other. "I want… I _need_ you inside me." She whispers, dark eyes boring into mine. "I need to _feel_ you inside me. Please…"

_Oh. My. God._

I kiss her, rough and gentle at the same time while trailing my hand down across her body, feeling every curve, every dip, until there's nothing but radiating heat. I move my knee out of the way to allow my hand better access, and feel Tori moan into my mouth when I slip two fingers inside her. I continue kissing her, swallowing her whimpers and moans as I quicken the pace of my movements.

My own moan erupts when she enters me and I have to rip away from her lips and press my face into the pillow below her. Holy fucking shit on a stick, the feeling of being inside her, while _she's_ inside _me_ is just… Ugh – Motherfucking _incredible!_

"Look at me." She breathes into my ear. "I want to see you…"

_This girl is gonna fucking kill me._

I use my free hand to prop myself up so that my face is hovering over hers, my hair cascading around us as we continue moving within each other. And the way she looks at me, makes my entire body erupt in shivers; which really makes no fucking sense since I feel like I'm burning up.

Her breathing hitches and her pants become heavier, and I know she's close. Her own movements quicken and the pressure in me builds to a nearly unbearable level. I'm so transfixed in watching her facial expressions change, that I don't notice when my own body starts shaking until I'm overcome by the sensations. My eyes squeeze shut as I feel the ball of heat explode inside me.

"_Mmm _– ah– Ja-_Jaade_!"

I manage to open my eyes long enough to see her own rolling back, her mouth opening as everything -_everything_- is suddenly silenced and only the echo of her gasp resounds, sending me into another full blown, mind-boggling orgasm.

I'm limply spread over Tori when I seemingly return to consciousness. Both of us completely covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

"Wow…" she pants.

"'Wow' doesn't even begin to cover what just happened…" I mumble.

"Wow…" she repeats.

"Tori?" I whisper, as I try to push myself off her but my limbs refuse to cooperate. "I can't move…" She chuckles lazily and throws a hand around my back.

"Good." She murmurs before placing a kiss on top of my head and weakly pulling me to her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"JesusshitfuckGodTori fucking_yes_ToriToriTo-T-_Tori_!" My back arches as I'm repeatedly overtaken by pulsating waves of pleasure. "Holy _shit_…" I pant as I fall back into the bed.

I feebly lift my head to see Tori's pop up from in-between my legs, mouth smeared in whip cream as she pulls off the blind fold.

"Yay! I found it!" She cheers, licking around her lips. "Very creative hiding place Jade…" She chuckles sarcastically while crawling over to me.

"Best… Hiding place… _Ever_…" I mumble breathlessly. She smiles and snuggles next to me, resting her head on my open arm and drawing invisible shapes on my stomach while I continue attempting to catch my breath.

"Man, I can't believe we've been doing this all day…" She giggles.

"We're teenagers." I mutter with my eyes still closed. "It's what we do."

"I just- I just can't seem to ever get enough of you…" She says sheepishly, placing a soft kiss on my shoulder. "Do you think it's normal to love someone this much?"

"To love _them _or their _body?" _I quip.

"Body of course…" I pinch her. "Which just so happens to pertain to the most amazing person ever, with whom I'm deliriously in love!" she quickly adds.

"Good save." I deadpan.

"No but seriously, Jade. It's literally painful how much I love you." She twists so that she may look me in the eye. Her fingers playing with a lock of my hair.

"Is it the good kind of pain?" I smirk as I slowly caress the smooth skin of her back with my hand.

"The best." She smiles. "But… I don't think it's good for my heart you know? Or my lungs, or my brain, or my entire body for that matter." She leans her head up to kiss me softly in the lips. "You'll be the end of me, Jade West."

"We're in the honeymoon phase, Tor." I mutter into her lips. "It'll wear off soon enough and you and your body will get your precious rest." I push myself off the bed and in one quick move manage to straddle her. "Until then however… How 'bout we play another game?" I wiggle my eyebrows.

"You never tire do you?" she chuckles.

"Nope."

"Good. I was hoping you'd be able to keep up." she says sitting up beneath me and kissing my neck. "So…" she runs her hands up my back, making my eyes flutter shut and head arch back. "What game should we play now?"

"Play 'Find the Whip Cream' again!" A deep voice suggests from the other side of the wall.

Our eyes snap open and we both freeze.

"Maybe we should go play somewhere else?" Tori whispers with wide eyes.

"Somewhere else it is."

* * *

**AN: ****Oh and this chapter is also in celebration for VICTORiOUS winning Best TV Show at the KCA! Yay! :D**

**_Sexy times for all!_**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Yo! So real quick, like four of you told me that you didn't get the alert for the last chapter I posted on Tuesday! :O I think the site was having some problems or something with the emails so, if you didn't read it (it was all about sexy times so you should know ;D haha) go check it out!**

**As always, thanks for the love! Your reviews are awesome! :D**

* * *

**Tori**

"Mmm…" I moan as I'm deliciously pressed against the wall. Jade's soft lips keeping my mouth from producing any intelligible sounds, other than sighs and gasps; while her hands keep my brain from producing any form of coherent thoughts as they travel up my shirt. My own hands would totally be on her if they weren't currently occupied with the pitcher of pink lemonade and stack of cups.

I'm seriously considering just letting them drop to the floor and worrying about the mess later 'cause _God _her fingers are slipping under my bra and-

"Get your hand off my face, you idiot! I'm missing the show!"

I'm immediately robbed of Jade's hands, lips and body heat as she quickly pulls away. My eyes flutter open and search for her, hazy still from the effect of the kiss. It's not until I see her, dangerously glaring at something off to the side, that my mind registers the fact that someone else had spoken.

My eyes widen and snap in the direction she's staring at to see Robbie standing a few feet away, mouth hanging wide open and eyebrows raised high in surprise as he holds a hand over Rex's eyes, who's struggling to see.

"_Ow!_" Robbie is broken out of his shock when Rex apparently manages to bite him. (Yea… I don't know.) He tears his hand away and rapidly shakes it in front of himself, hoping in some way to diminish the pain.

"Aww _man!_" Rex groans. "Just when it was getting good too!"

I feel my face heat up with a blush and look down at my feet, mumbling a quick 'excuse me' as I move past Robbie and down the hall towards Jade's room where Andre and Cat are taping up the cardboard boxes filled with her things. Jade huffs and roughly pushes past Robbie, sending him crashing against the wall as she follows after me.

"Hey!" He cries out defensively. "I didn't do or say anything!"

"What happened?" Andre questions, looking up from one of boxes just as I enter the room. I remain quiet and head over to an empty bookcase to set down the lemonade and cups. Jade snatches one up and fills it to the brink, drinking it in less than two gulps.

"Jade shoved me against a wall!" Robbie whines coming in shortly afterwards.

"Well, what'd you do to deserve that?" Andre calmly asks, to which Jade snorts before refilling her cup.

"I-I… _nothing!_" he stutters out indignantly.

"He probably walked in on them going at it again…" Cat chirps hanging her head upside down from where she's laying on the mattress.

Jade almost chokes on the lemonade and I gasp.

"_Again?!_" I cry.

"Well, it was getting there but Afro McMoron over here had to ruin it by revealing our presence." Rex grumbles.

"You're the one who talked!" Robbie fires back.

"Well yea, because your big, clammy hand was blocking my view of the lady-lovin'!"

"Rex, you know I don't like you being exposed to such mature content and-"

"What do you guys mean '_again_'?" I demand, ignoring Robbie and Rex's mindless arguing.

"Yea, have you pervs been spying on us or something?" Jade growls, slamming the cup down on the wooden surface.

"'_Spying'_?" Andre snickers. "You guys are not as discreet as you'd like to think…"

"_Oh Jade! Don't go so slow!_" Cat says in an overly sweet imitation of my voice, placing the back of her hand on her still upside down forehead and batting her eyelashes dramatically before suddenly furrowing her face into a scowl (which I'm assuming is supposed to represent Jade) and continuing in an exaggeratedly deep voice. "_I have to go f-ing slow, Vega, because the faster I go, the louder you f-ing screa-"_

"_Okaay!" _I cry covering my face with my hands, in an attempt to conceal the burning blush spreading across it. "I can't believe this…"

"It's true though…" Jade mutters. "You _do_ tend to get kinda loud when I do that thing you like with my-"

"_Oh my God_ – _really_, Jade?!" I groan, throwing my hands up and giving her an unbelieving glare, to which she simply shrugs and smirks, winking at me before walking over to a stack of boxes.

"Alright, alright, take it easy, Tori…" Andre chuckles. "It's no big deal… We're cool with it." He adds with a reassuring smile.

"Yea, he's definitely _cool_ with it…" Rex pipes in. "So cool with it in fact that he was telling us to shut up so he could listen! Ha!"

"_Rex!_" Robbie cries, hand shooting up to cover the puppet's mouth just to yelp in pain when he's bitten again.

"_Andre!_" I gasp, looking over at him. His eyes widen and his mouth opens but no sound comes out.

"Well what'd y'all expect?!" He finally splutters before pointing at his chest dramatically. "I'm only a man!"

"And a _typical_ man at that." Jade mumbles as she uses a marker to label each of the sealed boxes, seemingly unfazed by what's going on.

"Well may-maybe you guys shouldn't be fooling around in the linen closet when your friends are only _two_ rooms away!" Andre snaps, folding his arms across his chest defensively.

"Yea! You two are supposed to be coming _out _of the closet, not _coming_ inside! Hehe!" Cat clasps her hand over her mouth, unable to keep the burst of giggles from escaping at her obvious innuendo.

"Good one, Red!" Rex hollers.

"That actually _was _pretty good…" Andre chuckles.

"A clever, _and naughty,_ play with words." Robbie agrees, putting a palm up by his mouth and whispering the 'naughty' part.

Cat giggles even more and rewards herself by pulling a long piece of licorice from her bosom and plopping the end of it into her mouth.

I groan and facepalm myself while Jade chuckles and nods in approval to Cat's comment.

"You think it's funny?" I demand.

"Well…" Jade shrugs, motioning lazily to Cat. "For _her_." I sigh in defeat and let myself fall into a chair behind me. "Oh Vega relax…" she coaxes, coming over and sitting on my lap, causing Rex to cheer from somewhere in the room. "Think of this as a public service. I bet this is the most action these three have gotten in a while…"

"Ha!" Rex laughs.

"I wasn't including Cat." Jade deadpans, to which he scoffs. "And they really can't blame us…" she continues, trailing a finger down my jaw as she leans closer. "I'd like to see them try and refrain themselves from constantly ravishing their smoking hot and incredibly sexy girlfriend." She purrs, nipping my lips softly. "Or in my case… you." She adds, making the smile that had begun to creep up on my lips immediately drop. She smirks and quickly pecks me on the cheek before jumping off my lap and clapping her hands loudly. "Alright now, enough of this shit. Jack off on your own time, I asked you all here to work."

"Tori is the one who asked us to help…" Robbie interjects.

"And she promised pizza…" Andre mutters. Jade groans and lets out an exasperated sigh while checking her phone.

"The movers are gonna be here in an hour and we still have a couple of boxes to go so-"

"But we're tired…" Cat whines with a pout.

"And hungry…" Andre adds.

"And my back hurts…" Robbie complains while rubbing over his shoulder.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Jade grumbles. "Ok, if you guys stop bitching and finish up before the movers get here… Vega and I will make out for a whole minute." My eyes widen and I jump up from the chair to object but she quickly dismisses me with her hand. Robbie's and Andre's faces immediately brighten in excitement and even Rex's jaw drops. Cat just furrows her eyebrows and is about to speak when Jade cuts her off. "And _you'll _get the Extra-Triple-Strawberry-and-Banana-with-Covered- Chocolate-Marshmallows-Mega-Blizz at Freezy Queen." Cat's eyes widen with joy and she cheers excitedly.

"My favorite!" She squeals jumping up from the bed and running to the boxes in the corner that still haven't been sealed. Andre picks up the tape dispenser and quickly sets to work, while Robbie sets Rex down by the door, but not before he screams, '_Work! Work you fool! You will not ruin this for me!'_

"So I have absolutely no say in this?" I huff, poking Jade's side sharply.

"Sure you do." She smirks turning around to face me. "Let's go discuss it in the linen closet…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Ok, well that was the last of them." Jade sighs, patting the top of a box tiredly. "I'm gonna run downstairs to give the movers their tip before they leave. I'll be back." She calls out before disappearing out the door.

"I can't feel my arms and legs…" Robbie groans dropping down on a small black couch.

"I think Jade had more possessions in her room than we've ever had in our entire _house_." Andre mumbles from a chair by the small kitchen in the corner.

"One time, my brother was thrown in the Big House for possession." Cat says with eyes closed from her laying position on the bed, tiredly throwing air quotes around "Big House" before letting her arms fall lazily to the sides. We're all too drained and exhausted to react to her comment, so we simply give a unanimous grunt of acknowledgement.

"This place is pretty awesome." I smile and lean back against the counter as I look around the small studio. It really isn't that small. There's enough room for a full sized bed, two decent sized couches, a small wooden table for four, and a kitchen with all the essential appliances. There's also a closet next to the bathroom in the back corner of the room. The apartment itself is very urban looking, with its tall brick walls and long windows overlooking the various building structures of Downtown L.A.

"Yea…" Andre agrees climbing to his feet and walking over to me. "She lucked out big time." I smile and hum in agreement.

"So, have you… have you heard anything from Beck?" I ask quietly so that Cat and Robbie won't be able to hear. Andre sighs and shakes his head.

"I tried calling and texting him a couple of times yesterday and even today since there was no school, but he never answered." He says with a shrug. "He probably wants some time to himself, you know?"

"Yea I guess…" I mumble, looking down at my shoes.

"You nervous about school tomorrow aren't you?" He says softly while gently nudging me with his shoulder.

"Yea…" I breathe. "It's not just Beck, but – I-I don't know. What if… what if people say stuff about Jade? I don't want people thinking that she-that she –"

"Hey, hey..." He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. "Everything's gonna be ok. People are always going to have something to say. It's how much you let it get to you that matters… And you guys did _nothing_ wrong." He squeezes me softly and places a small kiss on top of my head. "And we're gonna be there with you guys to make sure no one even _dares_ look at you in any way they shouldn't."

"Thanks Andre." I chuckle.

"Oh and sorry about this morning..." He says sheepishly. "It's just… I mean, you two are just _really, really _attractive girls and well, as much as I love you it's really hard to not think of you and Jade–"

"Thanks for the talk, Andre!" I exclaim, patting him twice on the stomach before quickly pulling away and heading to the living room area, not really interested in finishing this conversation. Just then, Jade walks in and claps her hands loudly.

"Alright, ladies, gentlemen… Robbie."

"Ha!" Rex scoffs, making Robbie frown.

"We're all done for the day. Thanks for your help, it's greatly appreciated because after the day Vega and I had yesterday…" she chuckles and makes a whistling sound before sending me a wink. "I _really_ doubt we would have had the energy to get all this done without your help." I roll my eyes and let my head fall back against the wall with a groan, while Robbie and Rex share high-fives, Andre chuckles quietly and Cat plays with the lace of her pink jacket. "Having said that," she continues. "I must now politely ask you to get the fuck out so I can get to work on unpacking all this shit… among other things I have to do." She adds, sending me another wink. I just shake my head and look out the window, not even bothering to hide the blush forming on my cheeks.

They all get up and head to the door, stopping once they reach it to look back expectantly at Jade.

"What?" She asks with an arched brow.

"We were made promises." Rex states and they all nod. Jade rolls her eyes with a huff, reaching into her jean's pocket she pulls out a crumpled ten dollar bill and hands it to Cat.

"There's a Freezy Queen downstairs next to the coffee shop in the corner. Go crazy." She deadpans. Cat squeals and envelops Jade in a hug before shooting down the hall towards the stairs, giggling the whole way. Jade moves to close the door when Andre clears his throat and puts his foot in the way.

"_Our_ promise?" He inquires, folding his arms over his chest.

"Oh my God, you guys can't be serious!" I cry walking up behind Jade.

"We worked real hard today, Toro." Robbie shrugs.

"We demand our payment!" Rex exclaims. Jade shoots him a glare and he ducks down a bit, quickly adding, "Please?"

"I said that Vega and I would make out for one whole minute, which I _promise_ you is gonna happen. Maybe even for longer if she plays her cards right." She smirks. "However, I never specified, when, where and in front of _whom_ that would happen."

"You… you _tricked _us!" Andre whines with an over-exaggerated pout on his face.

"I-I… That's just… That's just _heartless_!" Robbie cries.

"Even for you, Wicked Witch!" Rex pipes in, shaking his head in bitter disappointment.

"_Ugh_… Vega c'mere." She groans, grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards her.

"What? _No_-" I cry trying to break free. "I will _not_ be a source of entertainment for- _hmph!" _Jade's lips crash furiously against mine. My eyes widen as I try in vain to pull away. Without ever detaching her mouth from mine, she moves forward so that my body is trapped between her own and a bookcase. Knowing I won't be moving anytime soon, she lets go of my wrists and brings her hands down to my butt. I yelp in surprise and she uses the opportunity to slip her tongue into my mouth. The sudden, and always thrilling, feel of Jade's mouth working on mine makes me begin to forget why I'm trying so hard to resist.

It's when her hands squeeze and press me firmly into her that all opposition flies out the window; my eyes flutter shut with a moan as I ardently respond to the kiss. Snaking my arms around her neck while her own begin travelling up and under my shirt; eliciting various other favorable noises from us both, especially when she drags her nails up my stomach.

It's not until she pulls away from me, biting my lower lip as she does so, and I hear her kick the door closed, that I remember the two and a half men that had been standing there just a minute before.

Jade presses me against the closed door and rests her forehead on mine, eyes shining mischievously as she lifts a finger to her lips, telling me to keep quiet and listen to what's happening outside.

"Holy _chiz_…"Andre mutters after a few seconds.

"That…" Robbie clears his throat. "That was… well-"

"Yea…"

Jade buries her face into the crook of my neck, trying to muffle her snickering, while I, hard as I try, can't help the way the corner of my lips pull into a grin.

"So uh… Cat's downstairs. Maybe we should go-"

"Yea, yea… We should go 'cause-"

"Rob," I hear Rex's unsteady voice mumble."Take me home…"

Jade is now shaking against me as her muffled laughter reverberates through her entire body. I don't even fight off my smile anymore, 'cause I _love_ when Jade laughs like this. It doesn't happen often, so I allow myself to truly enjoy it when it does.

Once we hear the elevator ding down the hall, she bursts into full blown laughter. Head thrown back and everything.

I have a dorky smile on my face as I watch her; seeing how the muscles in her throat move, how her hair bounces around her face, how cute her eyes look squeezed shut like that.

"_God!_" She cries. "I can't believe those idiots!"

"Yea… I bet-I bet Rex got _wood_." I blurt out, not really thinking about what I'm saying as I still find myself completely mesmerized by the mere sound of her laughter. It would seem impossible, but Jade's laughing fit seems to increase even more.

"_Rex – wood!_" She chokes out. "'Cause… 'cause… 'cause he's a fucking _puppet!_" And wow, she's really going at it now…

She somehow manages to drag me with her as we topple over onto the couch. She drops down first, immediately pulling me on top of her. I manage to set my arms down on either side of hers so that I can lift myself a bit and be able to look at her. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise when I see she's now got tiny tears on the edge her eyes. And, dang! I didn't know it'd been _that _funny… I'm most definitely not complaining though, as this is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.

Finally, her laughter begins dying down to the point where it's just an occasional chuckle here and there as she looks up at me.

"Is this real, Tori?" She asks, voice still light and airy; reaching up with her hand to softly caress my face and toy with my hair.

"Does it feel real, Jade?" I smile, turning my face to place small kisses on her fingers.

"That's the thing." She says running her pointer finger from my forehead down my nose, to the tip of my chin. "I've never been this happy." She whispers. "So I don't know if this is how it's really supposed to feel."

And it's one of those things that Jade says… That breaks my heart even though I know she didn't say it with that purpose in mind. She's simply commenting on an observation, or in this case, a feeling. Feelings that are strange and foreign to her, yet so familiar to me. And I hate that she's just now getting to experience them. But I love that I get to experience them with her.

"Tell me how it feels and I'll tell you if it's real." I say, laying my head down on her chest. She stays quiet for a moment, running her fingers through my hair as I close my eyes and listen to the beating of her heart.

"It's like… like I'm about to blow up – like, just _explode_ all over the place 'cause it's too much, you know?" It's such a Jade-way to put it that I can't help but chuckle. "It's… it's this weird feeling of peace. Of knowing things are -not perfect- but great nonetheless. And it makes me so… annoyingly tolerant to stuff I'm normally not. I mean, we spent the _entire _day with the dork squad and I didn't mind it. I actually kinda enjoyed it." She scoffs. "And even that weird shit that happened with my mom yesterday. It messed with my head and made me feel all kinds of strange stuff, but… it left me surprisingly content. It was as though I finally got something I had been waiting for from her. And it wasn't all mushy or anything, but it made me, I don't know, feel good." I smile and take her free hand in my own, playing with her fingers as she continues. "But mostly, I think I feel this happy because of you…" My heart stops and immediately speeds up at her words as a giant smile forms on my lips. "You make me feel as though I were in a fucking dream… It's just too goddamn perfect. And I never, ever wanna wake up." I lift my head and rest my chin on the arm I have draped across her chest, looking up at her eyes, being reminded yet again just how in love I am with this girl. "So…" she murmurs with a lazy smile. "Is it real, Tor?" I lean up and kiss her slowly. Caressing her lips with mine, showing her how real it is, how real it feels. She lets out a contented sigh as she returns it just as delicately.

"Does it feel real, Jade?" I ask again, smiling against her lips. She responds by kissing me harder, not faster, just… with much more passion and intensity. "Have I ever told you," I mumble between kisses. "how absolutely delicious your kisses are?"

"Are they now?" She chuckles, running her tongue over my bottom lip before sucking on it.

"Mmhmm…"

We lay on the couch making out forever because man, oh man, this girl can kiss. I swear I could do this all day, every day…

But of course something always has to come along and ruin it…

"Jade…"

"Mmm?"

"I gotta pee."

"No."

"Yea."

"Hold it."

"I've _been_ holding it…"

"Hold it for longer."

"Jade…"

"Can I come with you?"

"Ew, no!"

"I don't wanna stop kissing you."

"Neither do I but… nature calls."

"Tell it to go fuck itself."

"Besides we gotta stop anyway." I manage to rip my lips away and sit up, causing her to make a noise that's somewhere between a growl and a whimper; ridiculously cute yet _so _unbelievably hot. "You've got to unpack."

"That can wait." She groans holding onto the front of my shirt.

"We've got school tomorrow and all your stuff is still in boxes!"

"I'll wear this." she smirks, pulling me down into her again, but I quickly stop myself by planting both my hands on either side of her head.

"I'll tell you what," I grin. "If we get everything unpacked before seven, I'll make out with you for a whole hour."

"Those promises don't work on me, Vega." She snickers.

"Oh no?" I retort. "Fine, if we can get everything unpacked in two hours…" I give her a suggestive smile. "…we'll break in your new bed over there."

We finish unpacking in forty-five minutes.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"So how are we doing this?" Jade asks as she stirs two sugars into the coffee mug in front of her.

"I don't know…" I sigh toying with the napkin dispenser in the middle of the table. "How do you think we should do this?" She looks up from the mug and gives me a pointed look.

"Every single time I've asked you how you wanna handle this, you've turned it around on me. Why?" I tear my gaze away from hers quickly and focus all my attention on the little flower patterns on the napkins.

"I just… I just think that… Well, maybe you would want to –I don't know– like, pretend that… We could just go back to-"

"Vega, if you don't spit it out in the next three seconds, I'm gonna go get another coffee." She deadpans.

"I- _ugh…" _I groan slamming my head down on the table. "I just… I would _completely_ understand if you wanna keep our relationship a secret still." I mumble into the wood. "So no one will be able to say anything."

It's completely silent for a few seconds, so I raise my head to see if maybe she _did _go get her refill but instead of an empty chair I'm met with a penetrating green gaze.

"Is that… Is that what you want?" She asks softly, and there's a hint of hurt in her eyes that makes my stomach churn.

"No! No, no, no…" I cry, reaching across the table to take her hands in mine. "It's not that! I-I'm so, _so_ happy with us, Jade. There are absolutely no words to describe how utterly happy I am to be with you. If it were up to me I'd buy out all the billboards on Hollywood Boulevard just to announce it." She rolls her eyes but a faint relieved smile forms on her lips. "I just… I don't want people at school to say anything to you because of… you know, what happened on Friday." I finish softly. "And I understand if you just don't wanna have to deal with that today or-"

"Vega." Her firm tone immediately shuts me up. "I couldn't give a flying _fuck… _what any of those morons, _or_ Beck, think." She says, green eyes boring into mine. But as hard as she tries to keep both her words and posture, I notice the slight hesitation at the mention of Beck's name. "I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed, I'm not gonna hide the best thing that's happened to me since The Scissoring: Unrated Director's Cut Edition." She calmly brings the cup to her lips and takes a sip. My heart soars in my chest and the butterflies begin their rioting once again.

"So, does that mean that-"

"When I see you by the lockers, I'm gonna kiss you. When we walk out to the Asphalt Café, I'm gonna hold your hand. And if I ever get you alone in the girl's bathroom, I'll make sweet love to you in handicap stall that everyone swears is haunted." She smirks.

"The one where Fawn Liebowitz supposedly skinned the Science Club's hamster family that now come out and nibble your feet when you're doing your business?" I gasp.

"That very one." She chuckles, reaching across the table to take a piece of my banana nut bread.

"You mean it?" I ask softly.

"Well, we really enjoyed ourselves in that nasty ass motel, I'm sure a simple bathroom won't be much dif-"

"Not that!" I laugh. "Are you sure about… _us_."

"Vega, even if we wanted to keep it a secret, knowing us, we wouldn't make it past first period before trying to jump each other's bones." She states simply, while getting up and putting on her leather jacket. I shake my head and smile before following suit and slipping on my coat. I'm about to head over to the trash can to throw away my napkin when I feel a strong grip on my forearm turn me around. I gasp in surprise as I'm met with Jade's face two inches from my own. "But yes…" She breathes. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life…"

She kisses me then. Right in the middle of the busy coffee shop.

All fears, uncertainties, and doubts are swept away by the swift movements of her lips against mine.

A loud clatter of falling dishes causes us to break apart with a jump. We turn to the source of the noise and see one of the guys working the counter scurrying around picking up fallen cups and mugs from the floor, face glowing bright red. My eyes widen when I realize just where exactly we are as I slowly drag my gaze around to the rest of the small shop.

Some people are watching us curiously, others simply give us a warm smile and turn back to whatever it is they had been doing before the interruption, while others don't seem the least bit fazed by the commotion. A small sigh escapes me as I turn to look at Jade, who is smirking in the young employee's direction as he continues cleaning up the mess on the floor.

"I'm starting to really enjoy this new kind of power over people… _Men_ in particular." I roll my eyes and check the time on my phone.

"Come on, let's go. We're gonna be late." I grab onto her wrist and begin pulling her towards the door when we're suddenly stopped by an elderly couple.

"I remember the days when my Logan used to kiss me like that…" The sweet looking woman, who has an uncanny resemblance to Betty White, says nudging the cute old man next to her playfully on the shoulder.

"Yea, well I remember the days when my Daisy used to look like _that_…" he grumbles motioning over to Jade with his eyes.

I giggle at the way Daisy frowns and slaps him on the arm. He chuckles as well and pulls her into a small frail hug, which quickly melts away her grimace as she happily returns it.

"I don't know if you beautiful girls are interested in the plain advice an old pair of dinosaurs have to offer but," Daisy smiles and looks affectionately between Jade and I before continuing. "Life has shown me how hard it can be on young love such as yours. But I want you to know that it has also taught me that true love isn't defined by race, religion, or gender… Love is an emotion way too beautiful and powerful to be limited by such trivial things."

"Love centers on the core essence of a person." Logan adds. "We don't fall in love with how they look on the outside, because as you can tell," he motions to both himself and Daisy. "time is a cruel and heartless bitch!"

"_Logan!_" Daisy chastises, slapping his shoulder again.

"What? It's true! I bet you ladies wouldn't believe that once upon a time, I had every single girl in California falling at my feet!"

"Yea, because you didn't believe in using deodorant 'til the late sixties…" Daisy mumbles, making both Jade and I chuckle.

"Be that as it may…" Logan continues after sending his wife a pointed look. "What I'm trying to say is that even if Daisy here suddenly took on the appearance of rabid mountain lion, my feelings for her wouldn't falter because I'd know that deep inside, she'd still be the same loud, nagging, overly-jealous, terrible-cooking being I fell in love with all those years ago." He says with a smile. "Though I dare say a rabid mountain lion would be a much appreciated improvement from-"

"Never mind that…" Daisy grumbles, giving him a glare. "Point is that, many people in the world don't have the privilege of finding love like that in their life time… So they don't understand those of us lucky enough to have found ours." She smiles and looks lovingly at Logan.

"So no matter what life throws at you two," he continues. "Always remember this: Love much, Fuck more; Someone gives you trouble? _Fuck that whore!_" Jade bursts out laughing and immediately high fives Logan, who proudly proceeds to fist bump her.

"Oh my God! You're too cool for an old man!" She cries while Daisy and I simply glance around apologetically at the people staring at us.

"What my loving husband here's trying to say is, never let anyone or anything cause your love to falter." She shrugs. "Because in the end, that's all you'll ever have."

I feel a warm feeling spread to my chest as the wise words from these beautiful people echo in my mind. And maybe we'll be ok. If there are people with such big hearts still left in this world, then maybe… just maybe, everything will be ok.

"Thank you." I smile. "You really, have _no _idea how much your words mean to us."

"Yea, I'm totally writing that saying down." Jade snickers.

"I'm glad." Daisy chuckles warmly. "You two make a beautiful couple. I hope you know that."

"Yea, just ask the young man over there!" Logan laughs, pointing over to the employee still sweeping the floor.

"Well, we gotta get to school now, but it was so, _so_ great to meet you!" I say moving in to envelop them both in a hug, which they effusively return.

"Yea, you guys should give us your address so we can send you a basket of Viagra or something…"

"_Jade!_"

"What? They'd enjoy that more than fruits or muffins! I bet they have diabetes and high cholesterol!"

"I like this one…" Logan chuckles motioning to Jade with his thumb.

"That won't be necessary, dear." Daisy chuckles. "Logan here may not look like much but he can still take me 'round the world and back again without the need of any of your modern medicine!"

"Wow…" I mouth.

"_Alright_, _Logan_!" Jade raises her hand for another high five but I grab her wrist and pull her forward.

"Ok, gotta get to school! Nice to meet you!" I exclaim hurrying towards the door.

"And remember!" Logan calls out after us. "Love much, Fuck more; Someone gives you trouble-"

"_Fuck that whore!" _Jade shouts back enthusiastically, causing several people to gasp and gape at us in shock.

"Guess we won't be coming back to _this_ coffee shop anytime soon…" I mutter under my breath as we walk out the door.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Alright, this is it…" I mutter as I climb out of the car and look over at the school building, crowds of people already bustling about.

"You ready?" Jade asks, coming around the car to stand in front of me. I turn my attention back to her and nod, small smile on my lips.

"Let's do this."

"There's my annoyingly confident Vega…" She smirks before taking my hand in hers and turning in direction of the school.

I'm trying to be confident. I'm desperately holding on to the words the kind old couple had shared with us this morning, and trying to focus solely on my immense love for the girl next to me with every step we take. And yet, I can't help but notice the way my heart is furiously hammering in my chest. Or how for the first time in my life, my tongue, isn't moist.

"Relax, Vega." Jade whispers as we cross through the Asphalt Café in direction of the front doors. "Your hands are getting all sweaty and slippery."

"Oh!" I chuckle nervously. "Sorry! It's just… really hot today."

"It's seventy-two degrees…" She deadpans, stopping suddenly right in front of the large wooden doors. "Look, Tori. Maybe we should just take it easy today and not-"

"No! No I-I'm fine! I'm fine!" I cry out.

"You don't seem fine."

"I'm just… I'm just really nervous. That's all." I sigh. "I mean, I'm Jade West's girlfriend!"

A wide smile appears on her lips as her grasp on my hand tightens and she pulls me forward so that I'm pressed flush against her.

"Hell yea you are…" She smirks before claiming my lips in a searing kiss. "Come on." She smiles before throwing the doors open and pulling me inside.

I don't know if it's all in my paranoid head, or if it's really happening, but the entire hall seems to quiet down as soon as we step inside. I feel all eyes on us as Jade walks me to my locker where Andre, Cat and Robbie are standing, warm smiles on their faces.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna go get my books." Jade says, squeezing my hand once before heading over to her locker.

"Hey there Tori!" Robbie exclaims, with an overenthusiastic wave.

"Hi…" I breathe, eyes still scanning the room and seeing people trying to quickly evade my gaze.

"You alright there, girl?" Andre questions, furrowing his brows in concern.

"Yea, yea. I just have this… _weird_ feeling, you know?" I mutter.

"Here Tori," Cat reaches into her shirt and pulls out a handful of gummy bears. "These always make me feel better." A small smile spreads on my face as I take the colorful gummies in my hand.

"Thanks, Cat."

"Look Tori, don't pay attention to any of that ok?" Andre tells me softly. "Just relax and take it easy. All this chiz will blow over soon enough, don't worry." I smile and nod, unable to get my heart to slow down. I look over in the direction of Jade's locker where she is currently taking out her books. She stops her movements and looks up, green eyes shining brightly as our gazes meet. She sends me her typical smirk before closing her locker and heading our way just as the bell rings.

"Come on, walk me to class." She demands, grabbing my wrist and pulling me away after muttering quick goodbyes to our friends. Her calm demeanor and casual conversation as we walk down the halls helping me ignore the preying eyes watching us from every single angle. She doesn't seem to notice or care so why should I?

"I'll see you at lunch." She says once we get to her class before giving me a quick peck on the lips. "Or maybe... I'll see you in the bathroom…" she whispers, sending me a wink before disappearing inside. I smile and shake my head as I turn around to head to my own class before the late bell rings.

"So the rumors _are_ true..." A disgustingly sweet voice comments from behind me. I spin around and see Wanda Scandyn, Hollywood Art's Queen Bitch, leaning smugly against the brick wall. And pardon my French, but this girl just _really_ wazzes me off. She hates anyone and everyone who gets leads in plays, or in musicals, or in anything that she doesn't get. She's an overly-jealous skankbag that I bet even her parents can't stand. "Jade West left Beck Oliver for another _girl_…" she sneers. "And not just _any _girl…" she pushes off the wall and slowly walks over to me. "But Little Miss Perfect Tori Vega."

"Don't you have anything better to do, Wanda?" I sigh, turning around and starting to walk away.

"I have _plenty _of things I could be doing…" She says, arrogance dripping from her every word. "Commercials to appear in, magazines to pose for…"

"You were in a cough syrup commercial when you were twelve and came out in the background of a picture of Whoopi Goldberg riding a horse in an issue of Oprah's magazine!" I call out, not even bothering to turn around. 'Cause really, this girl is unbelievable. She's worse than Trina when it comes to her illusive visions of grandeur. Can you imagine that? Worse than _Trina!_

"Well, at least I do productive things with my time, unlike _others_, who go around fucking people's girlfriends behind their back!" She snaps.

That makes me stop dead in my tracks. I turn around slowly, giving her the most venomous glare I can muster while my heart starts racing and my knees begin turning into jello. "Who would've thought, huh? Little Tori isn't just here for her infamous singing abilities, but for her _acting _abilities as well!" she snickers. "Tell me, Tori. How did you manage to keep Beck in the dark, and even have him consider you one of his _best_ friends, for so long? How could Jade keep up the overly possessive and jealous girlfriend act all while fucking her supposed enemy on the side?"

"It wasn't like that." I growl, feeling my eyes start to burn. "You don't know! You don't know _anything!"_

"Oooh! Is little Tori getting mad?" She chuckles. "What're you gonna do? Huh? Tell your psychotic girlfriend on me? Or punch me in the face like you did the poor guy who's girl you stole?"

"What the hell do you want, Wanda?" I demand, voice broken and unsteady. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I always knew you weren't the perfect little bitch everyone took you for! " She hisses. "Oh Tori Vega is so nice! And so pretty! And so talented!" she waves her hands in the air dramatically before glaring at me. "You're nothing but a fucking whore who couldn't take Beck for herself so instead you settled for that tramp he used to call a girlfriend!" There's a few gasps and whispers from the couple of stragglers that were still roaming the halls when the altercation began.

"That's not true!" I grunt through gritted teeth as tears begin flowing freely. "It wasn't like that!"

"Everyone saw and heard what happened at the party Friday night, Tori." She whispers. "Everyone _knows."_

"Stop it." A deep voice demands from behind us, and my heart drops even more. "Just leave it alone, Wanda."

"Wow… even after everything, Beck Oliver is still ever the gentleman." She croons. I turn around and see Beck standing by a soda machine, dark bruise covering the right side of his jaw, eyes dark and hard as he glares at Wanda. "Doesn't it bother you to know that your ex and Tori here are already an item just _days _after you broke up? I mean, unless you wanna count it from when they first started-"

"She didn't cheat on me!" Beck yells, causing both Wanda and I to flinch back. "They didn't do anything. So just leave it… the fuck… _alone_." He mutters through gritted teeth as he gets right in her face. Visible surprise mixed with fear shines in her eyes as she slowly inches away.

"You three are all fucking sick…" She mumbles before sending me an icy glare and scurrying away. The whispers and murmurs dying out as the spectators follow closely behind, leaving only Beck and me standing in the deserted hallway.

He turns his face in my direction but doesn't meet my eyes.

"Beck I-" But before I can say anything else he spins around and disappears without another glance.

_What the heck just happened?_

Before I know what's going on, my feet are moving in the direction he disappeared to, which happens to be the parking lot. I spot him heading towards his car so I run after him and try to catch up.

"Beck! Beck wait!" I call, but he doesn't slow down, if anything he quickens his pace. "Beck _please_!" Suddenly he stops and spins around to face me.

"What, Tori_? What?"_ he shouts, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"I just…" I look at him pleadingly, fresh tears escaping my eyes as I see the anger, sadness, and betrayal shining in his. "Can't we just talk? Please? Can't we just…" I trail off when he turns away and climbs into his car, turning it on and speeding off in seconds. My heart shatters even more, and with a sigh I turn back to the school.

Suddenly I turn around when I feel a car drive up behind me.

"You wanna talk?" Beck says reaching across the passenger seat to open the door. Eyes hard, dark and void of emotion. "Let's talk."

* * *

**AN: Dun, dun, DUN! **

**So, did you guys like the quote "Love much, Fuck more; Someone gives you trouble? ****_Fuck that whore!_****"? I came up with it in the shower... O_o**

**Yea... I don't know U_U**


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Guys, I've been a bad girl. Like, a really, _really _bad girl. (*Read in English accent with a pinch of kink to it*) You don't even wanna know what I've been doing that's kept me away so long O_O Your view of me would be completely shattered. ('Cause you all see me as an immaculate being incapable of any evil right? Of course you do...) **

**But nevermind that... I'm here. I'm alive. There were no charges pressed. And I didn't get deported. So that's all that matters. **

**Let's get on with it then! :D**

* * *

**Tori**

I never thought silence could be so deafening.

It's been fifteen minutes since we left the school and came to the park just down the street. Fifteen minutes in which not a single word has been spoken. I know I said I wanted to talk… But as soon as I climbed into the car, it's as though everything I wanted to say, every thought in my mind, had suddenly vanished into thin air; leaving us surrounded by an immensely thick and suffocating tension.

Beck is slumped in the driver's seat, head pressed against the backrest and arms lazily hanging off to the sides as he stares blankly ahead; eyes incredibly sad and empty.

I can't help the guilt that pulls at my heart strings, constantly reminding me that I'm the one who caused this. That I'm responsible for the pain reflected in his gaze. He looks so lost and drained, so un-like Beck that it actually frightens me.

"I'm sorry." I blurt out, startling myself at how loud and out of place the words sound. He scoffs weakly and lets his eyes drop down to the steering wheel.

"You're sorry." He mutters flatly.

"I… I am." I look down at my tightly clasped hands, noticing how white my fingers look due to the lack of blood flow.

"What exactly are you sorry for, Tori?" He asks, turning his head in my direction, causing me to look back up at him.

"Well I…" _What am I sorry for exactly? "_I'm sorry for punching you the other night." I say looking at his swollen jaw then glancing down at my own bruised hand and flexing my fingers. "I-I shouldn't have done that. And I'm sorry I did."

"No, I was an asshole." He says with a bitter laugh. "You had every right to have punched me. I deserved it." His smile fades and he looks at me with evident anger shining in his eyes. "Why are you _really_ sorry for, Tori?" He hisses. "Why did you follow after me today? Why did you get in the car? Why… are you… _sorry_?"

"Beck, I never wanted to hurt you-"

"Well you did! And you being '_sorry_' doesn't do _shit_!" He growls. "Do you think telling me you're sorry you 'fell in love' with my girlfriend just automatically makes everything better?" He sneers, sarcastically spitting out the 'fell in love' part, making my blood boil.

"I _am _sorry, Beck!" I snap back. "I'm sorry this happened the way it did, I'm sorry that you're in so much pain, I'm sorry that it's come to this and I'm sorry that our friendship is probably ruined! But you need to get one thing straight," I look him right in the eye, voice low and steady. "I am _not, _nor will I _ever_ be, sorry to have fallen in love with Jade."

He holds my gaze defiantly, anger and contempt flashing in his eyes as I stare back at him with equal fervor. He lets out a vicious snarl and angrily pushes the car door open; slamming it shut once he's climbed out. I quickly follow as he stomps off.

"Stop running away, Beck!" I yell after him. "We can't keep doing this forever. You want to say something? Go ahead! This is your chance! I'm right here!" He doesn't even turn to look at me, simply keeps storming away, making me even angrier. "What? You're just gonna wait 'til next time there's a party? So you can get drunk and have the balls to confront me?" That makes him stop dead in his tracks. "You need to drop the little martyr act, Beck. You've been so focused on _your_ pain, on _your_ suffering, on _your _loss, that you haven't once stopped to think of how your behavior and actions have affected everyone else! You haven't thought of how they've affected Jade!"

"She's _all _I think about!" he yells as he spins around to face me. "She's always here!" he presses his pointer finger to his temple. "She won't go away. She won't leave me alone. She won't even let me _sleep! _Every second of every day I think of her. Of her with _you_!" He sneers. "How can I focus on anything else, huh? When every single time I close my eyes, I see her with you?" He's standing right in front of me now, face red and contorted in anger. "And I don't get it, Tori! I just don't fucking get it! She _hated _you! She hated you and she _loved_ me!" His eyes bore into mine as his nostrils flair and chin quivers in rage. "Why'd you do it? Why'd you take her from me? Was it just another challenge for you? Something you had to prove to yourself and others that you could conquer?"

"Oh my God, Beck, listen to yourself!" I cry. "Do you really think I would do that? Do you not know me enough to know that-"

"No!" he screams. "I don't know you _at all_!"

"Beck, please!" I groan. "Try to understand-"

"_No_!" He snaps, coming even closer. "Let me put things into perspective for you, Tori. Imagine if Jade, the girl you're so _desperately_ in love with," He spits out sarcastically."…the girl who is everything to you and you're everything to, suddenly tells you she's not in love with you anymore? That as a matter of fact, she doesn't think she _ever _felt that way about you? Not only that, but she's realized she's in love with one of your _best friends_. The same friend you had been encouraging her for _years_ to let into her life. So she did; and now she's gone, just like that." He snaps his fingers in front of my face, eyes never leaving mine.

All my anger dissipates at his words. My hard jaw and clenched fists slowly uncoil as everything he says seeps in. The thought of that happening… Of Jade telling me she never loved me. That she'd found love in someone else, someone that _I _cared for no less. Someone like Andre… or Cat! That would just… No. No, no, _no. _Just thinking about it is – God, I can't even... I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling my chest tighten and my stomach churn.

"So forgive me, Tori." He hisses. "For not _understanding_…" I hear the gravel beneath his feet grind as he spins around and stomps away. I hesitantly open my eyes and see him stop by a tree a few feet away, running one of his hands through his hair as he frantically paces around. His face showing a mixture of emotions: Anger, pain, fear, confusion, frustration, guilt, exhaustion, helplessness… Finally he leans against the trunk and lets himself slide down onto the ground; pulling one knee up to his chest while he lets his head drop back against the tree. All fight is gone from his eyes as he lets out a defeated breath.

It's amazing really, how just those few words have allowed me to see things in such a different light.

I can feel everything he's feeling. That desperate ache in my chest as my heart begs for relief from the seemingly never ending pain that is heartbreak.

I make my way over and drop down on the grass beside him with a sigh.

"It hurts so much, Tori." He mumbles brokenly. "I just… I just want it to stop hurting."

Hot tears run down my face and a huge knot forms in my throat.

"Beck… I-I _never_ meant for any of this-"

"I know." He says tiredly. "I know…

"I tried to hate her. God, how I _tried_ to hate her... I knew it would make everything _so _much easier if I did." He whispers. "But… I couldn't even get myself hate _you._" He says with a small bitter laugh. "Whoever said: 'If you love someone, set them free', is an asshole." He mumbles, looking over at me with a sad smile, which I return somberly. "I love her so much and the thought of letting her go is just… I-I can't… I – _Fuck_." He turns away and quickly uses the back of his hand to wipe at his eyes. "I just… I can't picture my life without her, Tori." He turns to me, eyes glistening. "It… it fucking hurts, like, _physically_ hurts me to think of not having her in my life. To think that she doesn't _need_ me as much as I need her-"

"She _does_ need you Beck!" I cry between sniffles. "She loves you. She always has!" He scoffs and shakes his head. "Just because she's not in love with you doesn't mean she doesn't care deeply for you. You're her best friend. And she misses you." I reach out and tentatively place my hand on his knee. "She never admits it out loud," I chuckle. "…but I can tell. Every time someone mentions your name, every time she sees something that reminds her of you… I can see it in her eyes. She misses you. A lot." He remains silent, blankly staring at my hand on his leg. "And… So do I." I whisper. His gaze lifts to meet mine, brown eyes searching my own hesitantly. "I need you to please, _please_ believe me when I tell you that not once did I, or Jade, do anything deliberately to hurt you. It wasn't like that, Beck. I swear to you. This was as hard on me as it was on her. And to be totally honest," I sigh and look down at my hands. "I never in a million years would have expected this to happen. I mean… it's-it's _us, _you know?" He chuckles faintly and nods his head.

"You really do love her don't you?" He asks softly.

"Yes." I respond. "I love her more than I ever thought you could love someone…"

"And she… she loves you too?"

"She does." I whisper tentatively, but even then my words are firm and free of doubt. He shuts his eyes and lets his head fall back against the trunk with a broken sigh.

"Call me crazy, but I always knew there was something about you two…" He snickers quietly. "She was just too fucking proud to admit it. But I saw it. I didn't understand it really. But, I think in the back of my mind and deep in my heart…" He opens his eyes and turns to face me. "I always knew she wasn't mine… And that it would just be a matter of time before she-" He swallows and clears his throat before looking away. "-before she figured it out herself."

We stay at the park for a while more, where Beck apologizes for the things he said and did. And although I'm not naïve enough to think that things between us are back to normal, I feel a giant burden brought on by tension and guilt lifted from my shoulders; giving me hope that maybe, just maybe time will be able heal the rest.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"What the hell, Vega?" I'm so immersed in thought that I almost jump out of my skin when I hear Jade's harsh voice yelling at me from the front door as I walk up my driveway. "Where the _fuck _have you been?"

"Jade, what- what're you doing here? School's not even out-"

"I asked you a fucking question, Tori." She growls slowly coming towards me, green eyes shining dangerously. "You ditch school and don't even tell me. To make matters worse, I go to Sikowitz's and see that Beck is _also _gone-"

"I was with him." I say letting myself drop tiredly onto the step just outside the door. Jade remains frozen, looking down at me with wide eyes.

"What?" She snaps.

"I… There was- he- Wanda had-" I let out a sigh and lean back against the wall. "I just… I had to talk to him, Jade."

"No you didn't. You have nothing to say to that prick."

"Jade-"

"No, Vega! You don't go behind my back to talk-"

"I didn't go behind your back!" I cry. "Everything happened so quickly that-"

"You could've called me or texted me at least to ask if it was ok!"

"I left all my things in my locker – and I do not need _permission_ from you to talk to anyone, Jade." I say, furrowing my eyebrows and standing up.

"You do when it comes to my fucking _ex-boyfriend_." She yells, eyes blazing with rage. "You don't know what he could've done to you alone!"

"Oh, Jade come on!" I groan, lifting my hands in exasperation. "It's Beck, you know he wouldn't do anything. And he wasn't just your 'ex-boyfriend', ok? You forget he was also my friend-"

"Well you're not anymore. So you two have nothing to say to each other."

"It doesn't work like that-"

"So how _does_ it work, Tori?" She growls. "'Cause I'm not understanding here… I'm almost certain '_friendship_' guidelines state that once you start screwing around with your friend's girlfriend, all ties are off."

I can do nothing but stare at her in disbelief.

"Wow…" I mutter. "Nice, Jade. Real nice." I walk around her and head towards the door, cursing under my breath when the knob doesn't turn and I remember my keys, along with the rest of my stuff, are still in my locker. I hadn't felt like going back to school after our talk so I asked Beck to just drop me off at home, clearly not realizing at the time that no one would be here this early in the day. I push off the door with a grunt and start making my way to the back where I can maybe attempt and climb the tree that leads to my bedroom.

"Tori, wait…" Jade sighs, trying to reach out for my arm which I quickly pull away and continue walking. I hear her let out a muffled curse before following after me. I shrug off my coat once I reach the tree and set it down on the small bench beside it.

_And holy chiz, this tree is tall. _

"Are you really gonna just ignore me?" I hear Jade grunt from behind me.

I answer her question by grabbing onto a branch and hoisting myself up without as much as a glance in her direction. I take a hold of the trunk and slowly stand up. I look around for the next foothold and can't help but wonder how the heck Jade can climb up and down this thing so quickly and effortlessly. Everything is rough, and hard, and there are spider webs, and leaves, and – _oh my God what the fudge was that?! _

I let out a small squeal and wave my free hand in front of my face wildly when I feel something flutter by my ear.

"Careful, Vega…" Jade snickers from below. "Those butterflies are dangerous and ruthless little bitches…" I roll my eyes and brush some hair from my face before continuing my climb. "Don't step on that branch to the left. Grab onto the one in front of you and use your right foot to-"

"I don't need your help, Jade!" I snap. "You can go home now! Don't want to waste any more of your time _screwing around_ with me."

"Tori-"

"Just leave, Jade." I huff as I reach for the branch above me, deliberately ignoring her instructions. I manage to climb onto the branch that levels out towards the window, but I'm facing the wrong way. "Gosh darn it…" I grumble, looking around for something to hold onto so I can turn around.

"You won't be able to climb into the window if you're-"

"I can figure it out!" I growl. She gives out an exasperated sigh before grabbing her bag from where she had set it on the grass and stomping off. A small twinge of sadness mixed with fear runs through me when I realize she truly _did _leave. "Alright, Tori…" I tell myself. "You got this." I grab onto a smaller branch in an attempt to use it to slowly turn my body in the right direction, but no sooner do I grab onto it, that it snaps and almost sends me crashing down to my death.

Ok, so maybe I wouldn't _die_ but there's no doubt in my mind that it would be extremely painful!

"Son of a poptart…" I grumble, now really regretting not having followed Jade's advice.

"Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" I almost fall off the tree yet again at the sound of said girl's voice coming from somewhere above me. Grabbing onto the thick trunk for support, I manage to turn my head enough to see Jade smirking down at me from my open window.

"Jade! What are you- How the heck did you get into my house?" I demand, trying again in vain to find the footing necessary to turn around.

"Your dad keeps an extra key under the orchid pot by the entrance." She replies simply. I raise my hand to facepalm myself for forgetting about that but quickly think better of it when I almost lose my balance for the third time.

"How did you even- And you didn't think of telling me this _before_?" I cry.

"You were ignoring me…"

"I still am!"

"No you're not."

"Well I… I am now!" I snap.

"Vega…" She groans. "Come on, this is stupid. You know I didn't mean it. I was just upset and everybody knows I tend to say really stupid shit when I'm upset."

"Well I'm not everyone." I say while almost losing my footing again.

"No, you are not. Now stop being stubborn and let me help you up, you're gonna fall and then I'll feel bad." She says as she begins climbing out the window.

"You should already feel bad." I grumble. "It's your fault I'm out here to begin with." Suddenly she jumps down onto the branch making it shake and sway a bit. "Jade! Don't do that!" I cry hugging the trunk for dear life.

"Don't do what?" She asks grabbing onto another branch and bouncing in place, making everything shake even more.

"_That!" _

"You baby." She snickers. "Come along, baby! Come to momma." She stretches out one of her hands towards me, motioning for me to take it. I tentatively reach out, too afraid to completely let go of the trunk. "Come on, Vega. This branch may be strong enough to support me but I doubt it'll hold for much longer with you on it as well."

"Are you saying I'm fat?" I gasp. Just then, a cracking noise below our feet seems to answer the question. "Uh-oh…"

"Alright, come here." Jade grunts grabbing hold of my hand and pulling me roughly forward, as more crunching and snapping is heard. She rapidly puts and arm around my waist and all but hurls me up and over the ledge of the window, sending me crashing into the carpet right when a horrendous cracking noise reverberates outside as the branch comes crashing down.

"_Jade_!" I cry, fumbling to my feet and rushing to the window, my heart beating loud and hard in my chest while my stomach flips upside down. I stick my head out and look down, gasping in shock when I see the large pile of twigs and leaves crushing my mother's flower bed below. I desperately scan the wreckage, trying to see any sign of Jade beneath it. "Jade!"

"Now how the fuck am I supposed to sneak into your room for a late night booty call?" My heart stops and my eyes widen when I turn my head and see Jade sitting casually on the small ledge next to my window. Her clothes and face a bit smudged with dirt, but she otherwise appears ok.

"Jade…" I breathe, wide smile of relief forming on my lips. She smirks and stretches out her hand for me to help her inside. "Oh my God, I thought you fell!" I cry, touching her face, and neck, and arms, and stomach, and pretty much anywhere she could be hurt.

"Ooh, I like where this is going…" She purrs raising her arms to the sides giving me more room to examine. I stop my movements and give her a hard glare. "Oh come on!" She whines, letting her arms drop. "I almost _died _just to save your life! The least you could do is fondle me some more."

"You're unbelievable." I mumble, turning around and heading towards the door.

"Tori, for fuck's sake!" she growls grabbing my wrist and yanking me back into her. She wraps her arms around me to keep me from breaking away, my back pressed flush against her front. "I'm sorry." She mutters, into my neck. "What I said was stupid, and I felt like a total bitch as soon as the words came out." She slides her hands over my arms until she intertwines our fingers. "Please, _please_ forgive me and my big, but oh so _very_ talented, mouth?" She whispers pressing slow kisses against my jaw. My eyes flutter shut and a small smile begins tugging at my lips as I subconsciously tilt my head to the side to better accommodate her, indeed_,_ _very_ talented mouth.

"Just 'cause I know you don't truly mean it when you say things like that, doesn't mean they don't hurt me." I say leaning my head back against her shoulder so that I may look at her.

"I know, Tor." She murmurs, kissing me softly in the corner of my mouth. "I know, and I hate it. It's just… I don't know, the thought of you alone with Beck-"

"You know he would never do anything to me, Jade." I assure her. "Besides, I can take care of myself, you know?"

"Yea. As long as you don't have to rely on your tree-climbing skills…" She teases, pulling me even closer into her. I scoff and elbow her playfully in the stomach, making her chuckle. "Ok, now, can you please tell me what the fuck happened today?" I let out a long sigh and break away from her embrace to head towards my bed. I drop down on the mattress and pat the empty space beside me for her to take. She kicks off her boots and crawls over, laying so that our faces are just a few inches apart.

"Ok, I'm gonna tell you everything." I begin, taking one of her hands in mine."But you need to promise me you'll stay calm, and won't want to wreak havoc on anyone with your scissors or anything…" Her brows furrow and I feel her grip on my hand tighten.

"Why don't I just put on a bright pink dress, and play you love songs on a ukulele?" she mutters flatly. I grin and caress her face softly.

"You have that dream too?"

**Jade **

"Yea, it's me." I grumble into the phone pressed between my ear and shoulder as I dig in my purse for my keys."I'm home, and I'm calling, just like you asked." I roll my eyes and huff into the speaker. "I am _not _gonna take a picture of me in front of the building for you to believe I'm really here, Vega. There's a bum pissing into a can out there." I pull out my keychain and begin climbing the stairs up to my floor. "Look, I came straight home, just as I promised when I _should've _gone pay fucking Wanda _Skank_dyn a little visit but-" I shake my head and scoff. "No, Tori, I promised you I would refrain myself _today_. But tomorrow, that bitch is gonna wish her parents had worn a condom once I'm done with-…-No I won't get _caught_! God, Vega, you sound as if you were a stranger to my work." I chuckle climbing the last flight of stairs. "Alright, alright, Tee. I'll call you later, k? I lov- What?-…-Tee? Well, it's uh…Tee as in the _letter _'t'-…-No it's not a cute little nickname I just-…-Oh fuck you, _Victoria. _Have fun explaining the gigantic, broken tree branch crushing all the daisies to your parents." I snap before hanging up the phone. "Cute fucking nickname..." I chuckle turning down the hall. "I'll give you a cute fucking nic-" I freeze when my eyes land on my front door, feeling my stomach tighten and drop. "The fuck you doing here?"

"Tori gave me your address, I hope it's alright."

"I didn't ask _how_ you got here, Beck. I asked _what _you're doing here?" I growl.

"I want to talk." He says standing up from the floor and dusting himself off.

"Well, I have nothing to say to you." I walk to the door and unlock it, pushing it open and hurrying in. But before I can slam it shut like I'm planning to, Beck slips in from behind and steps inside.

"Well, then maybe you can just listen." He states. "Please, Jade, just let me say what I came to say and-"

"No, Beck!" I hiss. "Tori may be too nice and forgiving to tell you to go fuck yourself, but I'm sure you know that's not the case with me."

"Look, give me five minutes. That's all I ask for, just five minutes and then I'll go." I grunt and toss my purse on the table. "Please, Jade." I look up and see his big brown eyes, pleading me to give him a chance. I let out a sigh and walk over to the couch, dropping down on it and looking at him wearily.

"Fine." I mutter. "Five minutes."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You bet your fucking ass I had to!" I laugh punching Beck lightly in the arm. "That whore was all over you! It was _expected_ of me to advise her to back off."

"By cutting off her hair?" Beck snickers through his miserable attempt at giving me a serious reprimanding look.

"Oh, don't be so exaggerated, it was only a small piece…" I say waving my hand dismissively as I take another hit of the blunt. "You know, I think I still have it somewhere in my box."

"No way!" He exclaims lazily. "Lemme see." I hand him the blunt and drag myself off the couch and towards one of the bookcases by the wall.

"Here it is." I giggle, pulling out the large black shoe box where I've been storing my most treasured possessions since I was seven. I plop back down on the couch and throw my feet over Beck's lap, setting the box on my own and opening it. "That was the first time I got detention at Hollywood Arts so I _had _to keep the bitch's hair." I chuckle as I rifle through the various objects. "Aha!" Beck bursts out laughing when I pull out a long lock of blonde hair kept together by a thin black ribbon.

"Oh my God, Jade!" He cries through laughter. "That's a _big_ ass piece!" I smile and examine it proudly. The chunk is a good six inches long and probably an inch thick. Definitely noticeable once it's missing from your head. But I mean, it was justified!

"She deserved it." I smirk.

"Why? 'Cause she let me borrow her s_cience book!_" Beck cries through a second fit of laughter.

"Whatever…" I chuckle, retrieving the blunt from his hand and taking another hit.

"Oh shit…" He smiles and reaches into the box, pulling out a small plastic Ziploc bag. "Is this…" He lifts the bag up to his face and examines it closely.

"The bones of the little dead mouse we found at the park that one time?" I grin. "They sure are."

"Nice…" He breathes.

"I still can't believe you weren't freaked out by how excited I was over that shit." I laugh.

"You kidding me?" He scoffs. "I was as scared as I was turned on!" I gape at him in shock and he simply wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. I burst out laughing and kick his leg making him cry out in painful chuckles.

"You're just as much of a freak as I am then…" I mutter, letting my head drop to the side on the backrest of the couch.

"I guess I am, huh?" He smiles and looks down at my feet, absentmindedly toying with the long laces of my boots. "I was a freak in love with a freak… Still am."

"Beck…" I sigh, straightening up to move my legs off him.

"I know, I know." He quickly adds, holding me in place. He shuts his eyes and shakes his head, a small and sad smile appearing on his lips. "Like I told you when we started talking, I didn't come here to start any shit or… or to try and get you back or anything like that. I just…" He sighs. "I came here to apologize, first of all, for all the shit I said and did that- I really have no excuse for… And also to tell you that I… that I miss you."

"Yea well your five minutes were over like three fucking hours ago…" I mutter.

"Hey it was _your_ idea to bring out the green!" He chuckles snatching the blunt from my hands and bringing it to his lips.

"Well yea 'cause I knew I was gonna need something to keep me from inflicting some serious harm on you." I tease.

"Yea, yea…" he smiles, leaning his head back and blowing out small o's with the smoke.

"I miss you too…" I whisper after a minute of silence.

"Yea I know…" He replies with a smug grin. "Tori told me you did."

"Of course she did. Fucking Vega..." I scoff. "Wipe that cocky ass grin off your face, Oliver, or I'll give you a matching bruise on the other side of that pretty little jaw of yours." He chuckles even more and turns to face me.

"Jade, how-how did… " He motions vaguely with his hands. "You and – like, how did you and Tori even-"

"I really wouldn't know what to tell you, Beck." I sigh, small smile tugging at my lips. "It just… it just happened. We started off as friends first… and _that _in itself was weird enough." He laughs softly and nods his head. "But as time went by… I can't even pinpoint the exact moment it happened. It was just as if… as if suddenly, she was all I could think about." I lean my head back and look up at the ceiling. "I didn't understand it at first, and it scared the shit out of me. And I could tell it scared her too. But there was no running away from it. I mean, I couldn't! Even if I had wanted to, I would have never been able to escape or ignore the effect she had on me. It was just…" I close my eyes and smile as thoughts of Vega inundate my mind. "So perfect… She's so goddamn perfect, Beck. And I can't- I just _can't_ begin to tell you how fucking in love with her I am…" I hear Beck let out a shallow breath from beside me and my eyes snap open. "I-I'm sorry… it's the fucking weed that makes me say all this sappy shit, I-"

"No, no… It's ok, you have nothing to apologize for." He chuckles lightly. "I'm… I'm happy for you, Jade. And I can tell Tori is just as crazy about you. I'm glad you…" He takes a deep breath and releases it before speaking. "I'm glad you finally let her in." He reaches over and takes my hand in his as his eyes lock on mine, showing me how much he means those words. I squeeze his hand and smile in return. "I'm gonna get going now. We've got school tomorrow and I don't wanna keep you up too late."

"Am I… Will we see you tomorrow?" I ask tentatively while removing my legs from his. He looks back at me and remains silent for a moment. "The guys miss you and, well, we… it's just… it's not the same without you at lunch and when we hang out and stuff, you know?" _This fucking weed and its tongue loosening abilities._

"Yea…" He says with a small warm smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And a small part of my heart that I feared was lost forever is suddenly glowing with life again.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Jade!" An angry voice cries as the owner slams a stack of textbooks down on the table next to my salad. "What did you do to her?"

"Do to who, Vega?" I reply while I continue eating, completely unfazed by her dramatic ruckus.

"Don't play dumb!" She hisses. "Why did Wanda Scandyn come up to me just now on the verge of tears to apologize and give me this can of Wahoo Punch?" I glance up at the can she's shaking in front of my face.

"Ugh, she got the wrong flavor…" I grumble, taking it from her hand. "Oh well, it'll have to do I guess." I snap it open and take a big gulp.

"Jade, I have never seen someone so absolutely terrified in my life!" She cries, sitting down next to me. "What on earth did you do to her?"

"_I_ heard she made voodoo dolls of her and her family, and has been slowly cutting off parts of each of them!" Robbie whispers loudly as he walks over to us with his lunch tray in one hand and Rex in the other.

"Nah, I heard she cut off all the toes from her left foot and threatened to do the same to the right one." Andre inputs while taking a seat across from me.

"Some girls said they saw her head go all the way around when Jade pushed her in front of the bus!" Cat gasps as she bounces up to the table and plops down next to Tori.

"That's a part in a movie, baby…" Rex gently informs.

"Oh…" She frowns.

"Come on you guys!" Tori cries out. "Those are all just rumors! Jade, tell me what you really did to her, please!"

"That's for me to know, and for _you_," I poke her nose and wink. "to find out."

"Ugh!" She cries covering her face with her hands.

"Why are you so mad anyways?" I question through a mouthful of lettuce. "That bitch doesn't deserve your pity. But if it makes you feel any better, I actually _did _go easy on her… just for you."

"She ran into the bathroom and started crying hysterically as soon as she was done apologizing to me!" she cries.

"Trust me, if I had _truly_ given her what she deserved, she wouldn't have been able to go running _anywhere._" I chuckle.

"It's true you know." The snickers and comments stop as we all turn around and see Beck standing awkwardly by the table. Andre immediately takes on a protective stance as he shuffles closer to Tori. Cat and Robbie both visibly tense up and watch him carefully. "She left Daryl Silverman in a full-body cast in freshman year just because he made a video trashing The Scissoring on The Slap." He chuckles nervously. The whole quad seems to quiet down in anticipation, small murmurs and whispers being heard from around us.

Rumors of what had happened between Wanda, Tori and Beck had circulated fast; so people were curious to see what the outcome would be for our well known little group of friends.

"No one was ever able to prove anything, Oliver." I snap. "So keep your mouth shut and go get me a coffee." I smirk.

"Yes ma'am." He smiles in relief and I give him a small assuring nod, letting him know that everything is cool. That _we're_ cool. "Anyone else want anything?" He asks, looking around the table. Andre, who had been watching the exchange silently, looks quickly towards Tori and me, waiting 'til we both give him a slight smile before turning back to Beck.

"I'll take a coke." He says still a bit warily. Cat and Robbie both smile happily, clearly relieved that the tension between their friends is finally easing off.

"I'll have a water, please." Robbie grins.

"And I'll have an apple juice!" Cat chirps. "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away!"

"Tori?" Beck asks softly. "Can I get you anything?"

"Sure," She smiles brightly. "I'll come with you to help you with the stuff!" Beck smiles and nods before they both make their way to the Grub Truck, curious eyes following after them.

As the rest of the lunch period goes by, the tension visibly fades, and everything feels just like it did before. And I hadn't realized until now just how much I missed this. How much I missed Beck. God, I missed him. Tori was right, I will always love him, because he was, and _is_ such a big part of me. Of my life, of everything that's led me to be what I am now.

And as I look around the table, at this small little group of people, I realize that I'm happy. So, _so _fucking happy. I would probably never say it out loud, but I consider myself lucky as fucking _cheese_ to have them in my life.

I reach over and take Tori's hand in mine, causing her to turn away from the conversation she was having with Cat to look at me with a smile.

"I love you." I whisper, resting my chin on her shoulder. She smiles and presses her forehead to mine.

"I love you too." She murmurs before leaning in the rest of the way and kissing me softly.

_So, so fucking hap-_

"No…" A muffled gasp causes us to break apart. We turn around and see Beck watching us with an unbelievably pained expression in his eyes, clutching his heaving chest desperately as he struggles to control his breathing. "I-I can't… I just- I thought I could but I-I can't." He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I'm sorry." He whispers, grabbing his bag and standing up. "I'm so, _so _sorry…"

And then, just like that, he's gone.

* * *

**AN: So, it pains me to say that next chapter will be the last U_U **

**I've been going through the five stages of grief the last couple of weeks as I saw this coming. At first I was in denial. Thinking that maybe, just maybe we could turn this into a Jori version of 'The Neverending Story' or something... Then I grew angry, (hence my very, _very_ bad behavior this past week O_o) But then, after a brief struggle on the bargaining stage, where I felt tempted to ask you guys to convince me to keep going or else I'd kill off Sinjin, (Yea, I'd do it! T_T) I found myself wallowing in depression... U_U Where I'll probably remain for the most part of this week until I have no other choice but to accept that this story has run its course and must come to an end. **

**So review, my loves. Review and help me come out of these dark and desperate times... **


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: My fellow aca-people, this is it. This is the end. U_U Do you know how hard it was for me to mark this as 'Complete'? Do you?! I almost cried and threw my computer out my window. But then I remembered I still had that unfinished game of Solitaire so I didn't. **

**Sorry this last chapter took me so long to post. It's as though my brain and heart knew what it meant so the bitches conspired against me and kept me from being able to produce anything for _days_! **

**But alas, here we are. I hope this story has been as fun to read as it was to write. :) **

**I dedicate this last chapter to all of you! 'Cause whether you guys feel the same or not, I consider you all my mothereffin friends. T_T**

* * *

**Tori**

Love is one of the most selfishly selfless emotions we are capable of feeling.

The way we so desperately seek for the happiness of the other person, because only then can we ourselves truly be happy.

I guess that's the difference between making love and having sex.

I know I don't have much to base myself on, given that I've only been with two people in my entire life. But even then… I think back to my experience with Steven. It was quick and awkward and over before I could even understand what was happening. There was absolutely no connection between us, though I was so sure I loved him. Throughout it all, he was solely focused on getting off while I waited and waited for the good sensations that never came. And neither did I. _Ha! _Jade would be proud of my little pun.

_Jade._

How can I even begin to explain how it is with Jade?

I was as nervous and scared the first time with her as I was with Steven. But it wasn't so much from fear of what was gonna happen to me, or how I was going to feel. No. I was nervous because I didn't want to disappoint her. Satisfying her was the only outcome I knew would make me happy in the end. And I seriously doubted my ability to make that happen.

But suddenly, it became so much more than that. Touching her, kissing her, savoring her… Making her feel good became _my_ ultimate pleasure. But not because that's what I had originally wanted. No, that was just an amazing bonus. Doing all these things to her was as gratifying for me as it was for her. And that's all I could focus on. The feel of her skin, the taste of her lips, the sight of her writhing in ecstasy as I greedily ravished her entire being.

See what I'm saying?

Selfishly selfless.

Like now, for example. Our hot, sweaty bodies move in beautiful synch as we become lost in one another. Her hips rock in rhythm with my hand while my fingers strum her skillfully. Her eyes squeeze shut and her head arches back, which in turn causes her chest to align perfectly to my face. I, of course, immediately seize the opportunity and hungrily attach my mouth to her breast.

"_Tori_…"

God, I love it when she says my name like that. All breathy, and moany, and just- _ugh… so – freaking – sexy._

I want to hear it again.

I _need_ to hear it again.

I always do. Because it's an affirmation that I, and _only_ I, make her feel this way. That it's because of me, and _only _me, that the usually calm and always in control Jade West is _willingly _submitting to my complete and utter dominance.

So I do the things that I know will cause her to say it again, and again, and again.

'Cause you know… love makes you selfish like that.

_Better yet, _I think with a smirk. _I bet I can make her say it three more times before she comes. _

I lean against the backrest of the couch I'm sitting on to better position myself beneath her legs which are currently straddling my lap. Her hands immediately grab onto the armrest and the back cushion of the couch to keep herself in place. I trail my left hand up her back while the fingers of my right continue moving expertly inside her. I then drag my nails slowly, yet firmly, across her skin, something I know drives her absolutely insane.

"Mmm _Tori…" _

_One._

She sighs and brings her forehead forward to rest on my shoulder. I turn my head toward hers and start sucking and nipping on her neck while my thumb begins tracing slow circles around her clit.

"God_, Tor…" _she gasps.

_Two._

I smile into her skin and shift my head around so that now my face is right in front of hers. I wait 'til her eyes flutter open and she looks directly into mine before increasing the speed of both my fingers and my thumb. Her breath becomes jagged, and her skin even more flushed as she stares at me; eyes flicking quickly between my own as the pressure builds.

There's always something magical when I have her look me in the eye when she climaxes. Her orgasm is always more intense, more… frantic.

Her brows furrow and her panting comes out in short, consecutive bursts of air against my skin. I can feel it. She's close. So I bite my lower lip and brace myself for the beautiful phenomena of Jade West unraveling before me.

One of her hands shoots up from the backrest and frantically cups my cheek, thumb roughly sweeping over my lips as I part them and envelop it in my mouth. A small moan escapes me as I gently suck and caress it with my tongue; my gaze never once faltering from her own.

That does it.

"_Fuuuck_-" she whimpers.

_Come on… Say it._

She desperately tries to keep her eyes on me, but within a few seconds they're rolling back along with her head as she tenses.

_Say it._

"Fuckfuck_fuck!"_

Suddenly an idea flashes through my mind and with a quick twist and curl followed by a flick here and a stroke there, she's-

"_Agh –mmm! To-TORI!"_

_Three._

Her entire body begins trembling and pulsating uncontrollably to the point where I have to pull her into me and hold her until nothing more than sporadic quivers and tremors ripple through her like waves.

"Holy _shit…_" she breathes into the crook of my neck. "Where… in the flying _fuck… _did you learn how to do that?"

"Cosmo." I chuckle a bit out of breath myself.

"Cosmo?" She pants. "As in Cosmo-fucking-_magazine?"_

"Yea…" I nod weakly, placing several small kisses on her shoulder. "They have some pretty good stuff in there. Remember that thing you liked with the ice?"

"You got that from there?!"

"Yep."

"Well shit…" she scoffs collapsing exhaustedly onto the empty portion of the couch.

I hum in agreement and sit up straight, stretching my back and arms as I glance around for my bra, which I spot hanging from the lampshade across the room. Right as I go to stand up, two legs drop heavily on my lap, keeping me from further movement.

"And where do you think you're going, Miss Vega?" Jade snickers grabbing my arm and pulling me down on top of her. "You think you can just come to my place, have your way with me and then scram?"

"I prefer the term '_toot it and boot it'_." I grin. Her eyebrows rise in amusement while her hand tugs down on my neck until our foreheads press together.

"How 'bout '_smash and dash'_?" she quips.

"Or… '_hit it and quit it, say you never did it'_!" I giggle brushing my nose with hers.

"Nice. I bet Cosmo taught you that as well, huh?" she laughs, tilting her head to the side to take my lips in a gentle kiss.

"I really _do _have to go though, Jade." I breathe as I slowly tangle my hands in her hair and return it. "It's getting late."

"So?" She mumbles now nipping and sucking across my jaw.

"We – _God – _we… we got school tomorrow-"

"Fuck school."

"Jade-" I gasp when one of her hands sneaks up in-between our bodies and cups my breast. "You-you promised…" She stops her movements with a groan and lets her head drop back against the couch dramatically.

"God, Vega… We graduate in three fucking days!" She cries pushing me off so she can sit up and fold her arms across her chest. "Why the fuck does it matter anymore?"

"Exactly _because _of that!" I say sitting up as well. "We graduate in _three_ days, Jade! In three days high school will be over. No more Sikowitz, no more school plays, no more having lunch at The Asphalt Café…" I trail off. "These last three days will be the last time we all get to hang out together at school." Her eyebrows furrow and she looks away.

"You swear like we're not gonna see them anymore-"

"We're really not." I say softly, reaching over to take her hand in mine. "Not for a while anyway. Cat and Robbie's orientation at UC Davis begins next month and Andre leaves to New York in a week!" She sighs and slumps down next to me again.

"Fuck…" she chuckles, rubbing tiredly at her face. "This is really happening already isn't it?"

"Yea." I smile. "It is."

She turns her face so that she's looking straight at me, green eyes studying my brown ones hesitantly for a moment before she suddenly jumps off the couch and heads to her dresser.

"Since we're on the subject- I uh… I wanted to ask you something – _no – _no, I wanted to _give _you something." She exclaims putting on her bra and pulling on some panties. "Yea, an idea… an idea in the form of a – question, I guess?" She chuckles and I can't help but furrow my brow and smile at how nervous and jumpy she seems.

"Okay…" I drawl getting up to retrieve my undergarments as well. "What is it?"

"Well. Ok. So... so we've been together for what? Close to a year and a half, right?" She motions with her hands as she sits awkwardly on the coffee table in front of the couch, attempting to casually cross her legs but being unable to do so given the short height of the table.

"Right…" I smirk, extremely amused by her behavior. It's not often that I get to see Jade's nervous and jittery side, and I find it so unbelievably cute. Of course I never tell her. She'd kill me.

"Right." She affirms, nodding quickly. "And… well, we're both, you know, attending USC next year…"

"Uh-huh…"

"Which is like… _five_ minutes away from here." She points out the window in the direction of the school. "And well… you practically _live _here with all the time you spend in my apartment and-"

"Oh my God…" I gasp, covering my mouth with my hands. "Jade are you… are you asking me to-"

"Move in with me." She breathes, gulping loudly as she looks at me with wide apprehensive eyes. I can do nothing but stare at her, completely speechless. "It-it's cheaper than the dorms so I just thought that maybe – I don't know – you would…" She clears her throat and stands from the table, eyeing me cautiously as she takes small steps in my direction."I'm renewing the lease and-and I already got my trust fund money, which is more than enough to maintain us all throughout school so that neither of us have to work while studying. And I mean- you… you could… you would-"

"Get to live with you." I whisper, small smile pulling at my lips. Her face visibly softens and her own relieved smile appears.

"Yea…" She sighs, now standing right in front of me. "That too." She slips her arms around my waist, gently pulling me into her. "So?" She mutters, watching me closely. "What do you say, Tor?"

I wrap my arms around her neck and brush our lips together, smiling widely the entire time.

"I would get to fall asleep with you _every_ night? And wake up next to you _every_ morning?" I whisper as I delicately peck her lips. She smiles against me and nods her head slowly. "I would get to eat breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner with you… everyday?" I suck and pull on her lower lip, causing her grip on my waist to tighten.

"Everyday…" She murmurs with a small sigh.

"Sounds very, _very_ tempting…"

"And lets not forget," she whispers with a mischievous smile. "we would be able to toot it, hit it, and smash it any… time… we want…"

"Without booting it, quitting it, or dashing it?" I giggle twirling a lock of her disheveled hair in my finger.

"Exactly."

I let out the loudest and girliest of squeals and savagely jump into her embrace before clashing my lips against hers. She drops her hands to my thighs and I quickly wrap them around her hips so that she may pick me up. She carries me over to the kitchen area and sets me down on the countertop, never once breaking the kiss.

"Couple of ground rules though, Vega." She mumbles while pressing her body against me and kissing down my neck. "Number one: In order to save on utilities, joint showers are mandatory between roommates." I chuckle and let the back of my head hit the cabinet behind me as my eyes flutter shut. "Two: It's encouraged to use as little amount of clothing as possible at all times to save on the air-conditioning usage. Which sort of ties into rule number three," she continues. "Every evening on the days that end with 'y', the 'Topless Rule' is enforced." At that she reaches behind my back and unclasps my just recently re-clasped bra. "Can you adhere to these rules?" she purrs while trailing her fingers over my breasts.

"Gladly…" I breathe.

"Excellent." She snickers as her hands begin travelling further south. But before she can get too far, I drag my own arms down from her neck to her shoulders and push her away.

"But I really _do _have to go now." I peck her gaping lips and quickly jump off the countertop and out of her grasp.

"_Vegaaa!_" she whines like a petulant child, going as far as stomping her foot.

"_Weeest!_" I tease fixing my bra and slipping on my shirt.

"You're no fun." She pouts leaning back against the counter on her elbows. "We should be celebrating this momentous and very significant step in our relationship."

"And we will!" I laugh wiggling into my pants. "But as of now, I still have to adhere to my_ current _house's rules, which require me to be back by a certain time on a school night."

"You're _eighteen _Tori! God, your parents aren't this overprotective with _Trina_!"

"Yea, that's because she's _nineteen_ and lives on her own now."

"She lives in your parents' fucking pool-house!"

"Yea…" I chuckle while tying up my sneakers.

Jade mutters a variety of curses and unintelligible words under her breath as she makes her way towards the couch. She lets out a long and elongated sigh before dropping down onto the cushions. I can't help but giggle at the sight of her so gracelessly sprawled across the couch in nothing more than her matching gray bra and panties. She turns around and glares at me, her eyebrow arching irritably.

"_What_?"

"Nothing." I snicker. "I'm just admiring how absolutely elegant and exquisite you look. The screaming vision of femininity." A small smirk appears on her lips as she slumps down even more on the couch, looking anything _but_ feminine.

"Jack," She breathes, sending me an exaggeratedly flirtations look. "I want you to draw me like one of your French girls…" I nod and bite my lower lip to keep from laughing. "Wearing this." She continues while grabbing a small, green plastic bowl from the coffee table and tilting it so that the two small grapes that were in it tumble out before she slowly, and very sensually, places it on top of her head like a hat. "Wearing _only_ this…" she whispers biting on her bottom lip dramatically.

I quickly make my way to the couch and drop down on the floor next to her, taking her hand in one of mine and desperately clinging to the cushions with the other.

"Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise." I cry melodramatically.

"I promise." She whimpers while tightly clutching my hand and looking down at me with pain-filled eyes.

"Never let go."

"I'll never let go. I'll never let go, Jack." She squeaks out, and I again have to bite on the inside of my cheek to keep from bursting into laughter. "Now hurry the fuck up and die so I can have this floating piece of wood, that is _clearly _large enough for both of us, all to my greedy self." She deadpans shoving my hand away.

"But Rose!" I cry out through giggles, trying to keep a hold on the couch while she keeps pushing me off. "I love you!"

"We met like, _two_ fucking days ago!" She snaps with a teasing smile. "You just want my money and this nice big piece of ass!" she smirks while loudly smacking her butt.

"Ooh, Busted!" I laugh. "Well, if I can't have you _or _your butt… no one else will!" I take a hold of her wrists and pull her down to the ground with me, where we break into a playful wrestling match that leaves us both breathless from exertion and laughter.

"God, I can't wait to live with you so we can do this everyday…" I pant, looking up at her from where she has me pinned down on the carpet.

"Well daily reenactments of Titanic and me kicking your ass _are _rules number four and five…" she smirks.

"Is that so?" I chuckle.

"Yep… Only at Casa de West."

"Soon to be Casa de West-_Vega."_

"Mmm… Not sure if I like the sound of that." She frowns. "I think the words 'casa' and 'de' being in Spanish should be more than enough to represent you."

"Ah si?" I gape at her with feigned offense. "Con que solo 'casa' y 'de'? Pues sabes que, gringuita? Vete a la _casa de tu abuela _con todo y tu apellido!"

"God!" Jade cries out dramatically. "I _love it_ when you go all Ricky Ricardo on me!"

"Estas _loca_." I laugh, making sure to over-enunciate the last word.

"Yes, yes… Everybody knows I'm '_loca_'…" She says with an eye roll before leaning down and kissing me softly. "Tell me something else."

"Aunque seas una demente y a veces me des miedo…" I whisper against her lips. "…te amo." She groans and pulls away.

"Don't be so _queso_!" She snaps.

"Queso is just cheese, not _cheesy_…" I chuckle.

"Whatever-o. Say something hot."

"Salsa picante."

"You think you're a fucking riot don't you?"

"An absolute hoot."

"Didn't you have to go home?"

"I don't wanna go now."

"Ooh… a hoot _and _a rebel…"

"I'm a whole package kind of girl." I smirk lifting up my head to peck her quickly on the lips.

"Go make me a sandwich then."

"…"

"What? I'm hungry!"

"I got something else you could eat…" I whisper, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

"Ooh… a hoot a rebel _and _a nympho… Whole package indeed!"

"So is that a no then?"

"Rule number six," she says tightening her hold on my wrists. "We _never, ever_ turn down a meal at Casa de West-Vega."

**Jade**

"Never speak of it!" I scream hurling an empty beer can at Robbie, who squeaks and just barely manages to dodge it.

"Jade!" Tori grabs my forearm and brings it back down to where it was previously resting on her stomach before giving me a pointed look. Once she's certain I'm not gonna throw anything else, she relaxes back into the position we were in, with me sitting across the length of the couch and Tori sitting in-between my legs with her back pressed against me. "We're all sharing our fondest high school memories and that just so happens to be Robbie's! So please stop throwing stuff at people."

"I wouldn't have to if everyone's _precious memories_ didn't have me as the butt of the fucking joke…" I spit.

"Oh come on!" Andre chuckles slumping back on his chair and placing his feet up on the coffee table. "You can't tell me it wasn't funny when the entire school thought Robbie Shappiro passionately locked lips with _the_ Jade West?"

"The school and the entire fucking _world_ saw that disgusting satellite picture!" I groan. "I almost wish I would have never agreed to have it retaken..."

"But then everyone would've been able to see you picking your-_"_

"Finish that sentence and consider it your last words." I growl through gritted teeth. Cat squeals in fear and buries her face into Robbie's shoulder.

"The best part was when Tori saw it and thought it was actually real." Andre laughs.

"Robbie said he was glad he always kept an extra pair of underwear and pants in his locker for situations similar to that one…" Cat giggles making Andre laugh even harder and Robbie shudder at the memory.

"Seriously, Tor." I chuckle pressing my face to the side of her blushing one. "I think you're even more dangerous than _I_ am when jealous…"

"Ok, ok, so maybe that wasn't a proud moment for _either_ of us…" Tori quickly mumbles leaning her head back on my shoulder to look up at me. "But what was wrong with the one we said about the Prome?"

"A grown ass fucking obese man in nothing more than an adult _diaper_ carried me off as his fucking Prom Queen!"

"Prome-"

"_It's pronounced fucking Prom!"_

"Alright, alright…" she chuckles. "How 'bout you then? What were some of your favorite memories from these last couple of years?"

"Easy." I smirk and clear my throat. "The time we took Rex to the hospital after he got sucked into the Turblow Jet and we told the doctor to kill him off when Robbie got there-"

"_What?!_" Robbie cries.

"The time Trina's body harness broke and she body slammed into the entire set-"

"_Hey!_" Trina's shrill voice echoes from the kitchen where she's making herself a drink. "I'm right here you know?"

"Yea, and I still don't know _why_ since this is a party for us graduating_ seniors_ who are actually going off to _college." _I snap.

"First of all," She sneers standing in front of me with a hand propped on her hip and the other holding a wide glass of margarita. "I didn't go straight to college 'cause I wanted to take a year off to find myself."

"Yea, and you found yourself working part-time at Hooters and living luxuriously in your parents' backyard." I deadpan.

"Jade…" Tori warns, squeezing my hand in hers.

"And _second _of all," Trina continues completely ignoring me. "This also happens to be Tori's 'Move-in-with-my-gank-of-a-lesbian-girlfriend-who- probably-did-some-sort-of-African-voodoo-to -make-me-like-her party, so I, as the great and _beautiful_ sister that I am, came to show my support." She finishes proudly while I roll my eyes.

"Whatever… I'm not taking it back." I huff as I scroll quickly through my phone. "That was a terrible… _hilarious…_ accident. That to this day already has…" I look down at the screen and smirk. "Three million, six hundred and fifty thousand views."

"_Tori!" _she shrieks. "You said she took it down!"

"I need another drink…" Vega sighs pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"I gotcha." Andre gets up and walks over to the kitchen area, grabbing three beers and two Mike's Hard Lemonades from the fridge. He hands Robbie and I a beer while Tori and Cat get the lemonades. "Be careful, Little Red." He warns before she takes it. "Remember these are sneaky. Drink it slowly 'cause I don't wanna have to chase you down the fire escape like last time, got it?"

"Yes sir!" She says clanking her bottle loudly with his. "Cheers! Hehe!" Andre frowns and turns to Robbie with a sigh.

"That goes for you too, Rob. You guys make the worst drunk couple _ever_."

"I'm not that bad!" Robbie scoffs. We all mumble in disagreement. "Ok, so I tried to challenge that pack of stray dogs _once_… It was all in good fun!" he says dismissively.

"You peed on Cat's feet." Tori deadpans.

"And all over your stupid ass puppet." I add.

"Ok, so you have your happy drunks, your angry drunks, and your sad drunks…" He shrugs. "I happen to be a _territorial _drunk."

"Ugh."

"Gross."

"Fucking disgusting."

"That's just wrong."

"I think it's romantic…" Cat mumbles sheepishly. Robbie looks down at her resting her head on his shoulder and smiles before leaning down to kiss her softly on the forehead.

"Aww…" Tori coos intertwining our fingers and pressing them tightly to her chest.

Yes, Cat and Robbie have _finally_ started dating. I honestly didn't think it would last since she has the attention span of a squirrel while he has the strength and masculinity of a… hell, I can't think of anything worse than a _Robbie_. But to my surprise, and I'm sure everyone else's, they've been going strong for five months now. Five months in which we've seen a lot less of Rex, thank the gods. Although, if I'm gonna be completely honest, I kinda miss that idiotic puppet. He could say some funny shit at times…

"What about you Tori?" Andre asks plopping back down on the couch across from us. "Any specific anecdote from our high school years you hold dear?"

"Hmm…" She hums tracing the opening of the bottle with her finger as she thinks. "Oh! That time at Karaoke Dokie when those two guys wouldn't leave us alone until we gave them a little songy song action, remember?" she chuckles turning her head slightly towards me.

"How could I not?" I grumble. "Those idiots were as thick as their scent of failure and desperation."

"Was that the time Sikowitz forced you guys to go on that special 'date' for the play where you guys were husband and wife?" Robbie asks with a knowing smile.

"Yea…" Tori sighs.

"The nutjob said we needed to learn how to behave in public without wanting to constantly fuck each other's brains out."

"_Jade_!"

"His words, not mine."

"Sikowits did_ not_ say that!"

"It was pretty much the _gist_ of it, Vega."

"He simply said that we had _way _too much sexual chemistry for a married couple in the late sixties." She clarifies. "And that our excessive PDA was distracting the rest of the cast and crew…" She adds quietly.

"You can say _that_ again…" Andre mumbles with a smirk.

"Alright, so we were on the honeymoon phase!" I scoff. "Sue us."

"Yea, we've grown and our relationship is on a new and more… _reserved_… level."

"Girls, look at yourselves!" He laughs.

I furrow my brow and glance down to see what he's talking about and my eyes widen in surprise when I realize my hand has made its way under Tori's shirt and is currently drawing circles on her smooth, taut stomach while one of her own hands is stretched back and tangled in my hair, softly massaging and tugging on it like she knows I like. And our legs are tangled together in such a way that allows Tori to slowly run her foot up and down the length of my calf.

"Well damn…" I smirk.

"Wow…" Tori chuckles awkwardly while retracting her hand and stilling her foot. "Would you look at that."

"Oh! How 'bout that time with those nice boys at the beach when we ate shave ice and tuna tartare!" Cat chirps clapping her hands excitedly.

"Well I wouldn't know about all that, now would I Cat?" Trina snaps. "As I was trapped in a stupid toaster oven of an R.V. with _these_ losers!" She sends us all a glare. "Yea… _offence_."

"Well, other than almost dying from dehydration and drinking fish water…" Robbie smiles. "I had a lot of fun that day!"

"Yea…" Andre agrees. "Once we got out of the R.V. and were able to hit the beach it was all good."

"I miss those days…" Cat says with a pout, before her eyes suddenly widen and she looks over at us in panic. "I-I mean… I miss those days when-when Fat Biscuit was… you know… fat and-uh… – _lalalala_." Cat starts nervously mumbling a random tune, as she usually does whenever Beck is mentioned or inferred.

I know that's what she meant by 'those days'. She misses the days when Beck was around. When we would _all _hang out. The whole group. I know they all miss those days because I miss them too.

Beck was never able to fully come to terms with the idea of me and Tori. It's strange really. We still talk. We talk a lot actually. He will often come over to my place and we'll hang out, have a couple of beers, share a blunt or two. Whenever I see him at school he'll wave and smile and I'll return it. He talks to Tori too. He talks to all of us.

But he just can't be around when we're together, Tori and I. If he's with one of us and the other comes, he quickly excuses himself and leaves. For months we would invite him to join us whenever we'd all go out, but he'd always give us some lame excuse as to why he wouldn't be able to make it. After a while we just gave up and acknowledged the fact that this is how things were now and there was nothing we could do about it.

It hurt, I'm not gonna lie.

It still does.

I try to understand him, I do. I try to put myself in his place like Tori tells me to do in order to get where he's coming from. And yes, I know it must be hard to see someone you loved… or love… with someone else, but-

I don't know. I just feel that if he truly cared for me, like he says he does, if he truly wanted me in his life and was willing to take the only form of love I can give him, which is as a friend, then he would try to look past this… Right?

And now that Tori's moving in… I know I'll see him even less. Not only that, but come August he'll be leaving to Ireland for eight months where they'll be shooting a small independent film he got a starring role in. I could see the flash of hurt in his eyes when I told him about Tori. But I needed him to understand that I'm moving on with my life, which she happens to be a _huge_ part of. And as much as I love him, it's up to him now to choose whether or not he wants to move on with it.

"I know, baby girl." I murmur wrapping my arms around Tori and gently pulling her into me while resting my chin on her shoulder. "I miss those days too…" Cat's face visibly relaxes and she sends me a small sad smile. Our attention suddenly turns to Andre as he pulls out his guitar from behind the couch and starts strumming along a familiar tune.

"Come on y'all," he smiles. "let's get this party started."

Fifteen songs, three neighbor complaints, and thirty-seven "Shut up Trina, you sound like a dying walrus" later, the doorbell rings announcing the arrival of our pizza. I jump off the couch Tori, Cat and I had been using as a stage and head to the door.

"It's been fifteen minutes more than your advertised thirty-five minutes," I call out as I unlock the door and swing it open. "So this pizza better taste fucking amaz-" I freeze and almost drop the Smirnoff bottle I'm holding.

"I think you're gonna have to wait even longer 'cause I'm almost certain I saw a pizza delivery boy wrestling a homeless man up front for a couple of pizza boxes." I can do nothing but stare. "I uh… I have beer though."

"Jade?" I hear Tori call out breathlessly as she walks up behind me. "Is the pizza here yet 'cause I'm so freaking hungry I could-" She trails off when her eyes follow mine. "Beck…"

Immediately, all the voices and laughter in the room stop as everyone turns their attention to the surprise visitor.

"Hey Tori." He smiles. His eyes shift back to me and he raises an amused eyebrow. "So… Can I come in or do I have to go help the guy get the pizzas back first?"

"No. No, no of course not!" Tori exclaims shaking her head and snapping out of her shock. "Come in, come in!" She reaches over and takes the 24 pack of beer from his hand and ushers him in. I simply move to the side to allow him to step through as my eyes continue fixed on him, still trying to comprehend if he's really here.

"Beck!" Cat squeals jumping up from the floor where she was sitting with Robbie to envelop him in a hug.

"Hey Cat." He smiles embracing her warmly before turning to the guys. "How goes it fellas?" They both smile and greet him as he makes his way around the table and plops down on the couch next to Andre.

Tori who is in the kitchen putting the beer in the fridge shoots me a perplexed smile accompanied by a shrug before heading back into the living room to hand Beck a drink while I continue eyeing the strange scenario curiously.

"So do you know if Beck's still single?" I'm slightly startled when Trina suddenly pops up next to me, margarita in hand as she watches Beck with a predatory stare. I clear my throat and blink several times, still coming out of my daze, and give her a slight nod.

"Excellent." She mutters confidently before taking a sip from her glass.

"I… I can't believe he's here." I mumble more to myself than anyone else.

"He almost wasn't." She sighs. "I had to use every single ounce of my feminine charm to convince him. Never fails."

"Wait, you-" I gape at her in shock. "_You_ asked him to come?"

"Well I know how hard Tori worked to put together this whole little shindig," she says motioning to the living room with her hands. "With Andre, Cat and Robbie leaving soon, I knew she had her heart set on you guys all being able to hang out together one last time before, you know, _college_ and _real life_." She says with an eye roll as she throws air quotes around each word. "And I can see it. It's just not the same without handsome here. You all miss him." I turn my attention back to the living room where Beck, Tori and Andre are all laughing at Robbie's attempt to serenade Cat with a much slower and romantic version of 'Broken Glass'. "So someone had to get it through to him of what a fucking _idiot_ he was being." My head snaps back to her in surprise. "I mean, yes, your girlfriend left you for another girl. Ouch. Heart shattered. Man-pride wounded. Just build a goddamn bridge and get the fuck over it!" She scoffs and I don't even try to hide the giant grin that appears on my face. "The world doesn't end and there are plenty more fish in the sea." She adds with seductive smile. "Prettier, more talented, and definitely more _heterosexual_ fish."

"Well… Thanks." I mumble, looking down at my feet before tentatively looking up at her. "I know you didn't do it for me or anything but… thank you." She stares at me for a moment longer before taking a quick sip of her drink.

"You make my sister happy, Jade." She says seriously, small genuine smile tugging at her lips. "Happier than I've ever seen her. And that makes _me _happy. 'Cause I love her. And she loves you. So I am thus _forced_ to love you too – but not in _that _way ok? I am one hundred percent hetero!" She quickly adds taking a small step away from me for good measure.

"You know, that's what Tori used to say before she fell _madly_ in love with me…" I smirk.

"Well, as pretty a lesbian as I would make," She says flipping her hair over her shoulder and batting her eyelashes. "I couldn't do such an injustice to all men out there by not only denying them of me, but by taking away all their women as well." I simply smile and shake my head. "But anyway, I did do it for you, Jade. For both of you." she continues with a smile. "And well, for me too. I mean, maybe I could help Beck with the healing process, if you know what I mean…" She snickers sending me a suggestive wink.

"I'm sure he'd be thrilled." I laugh.

"Now come on. Let's go get chocolate wasted." She makes her way over to the kitchen counter to refill her glass before heading back to the living room where she wastes no time howling and shrieking along to the song Andre is currently playing on his guitar. I follow closely after and sit down on the empty couch where I have a front row view of the spectacle.

"Hey…" Beck breathes dropping down next to me.

"Hey." I grin, glancing at him briefly before turning my attention back to the other couch where Tori and Cat are busy trying to braid Robbie's unruly curls into cornrows while Trina is immersed in giving Andre a pedicure as both he and Robbie work together to compose a song about bottle caps.

"I'm here." Beck says throwing me his typical boyish grin.

"I can see that." I chuckle with an eye roll.

"No," he reaches over and takes my hand in his, making me turn to face him. "I'm _here_." He whispers sincerely, eyes boring deep into mine. "And I'm not going anywhere." I hold his gaze for a moment to make sure he means it, that this is real; and all remaining doubt and fear that he'll just up and go again begins to fade, instead replaced by a warmth in my chest as his eyes shine back affectionately. He leans in and presses a small kiss on my forehead, making my eyes shut tight and two hot tears trail down my cheeks. He pulls away and gives me one last smile before turning his attention back to our friends. I use my free hand to quickly dab at my eyes and also turn forward, resting my head on his shoulder as I watch the crazy fucking clamor currently taking place in our living room.

I see Tori look over at us and smile before fixing her eyes on Beck and giving him a small nod which he returns just as delicately. She then turns to me and my stomach flutters the same exact way it's been doing for the past year and a half whenever those beautiful brown eyes meet mine. She sends me a smile that immediately reminds me how very alive I am by the intense hammering in my chest.

And even though in a few days, weeks, months, years – this will all be but a distant memory; this moment, right here, right now – with these six people laughing and singing and screaming and smiling... will forever be my absolute favorite.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**xxxxxx EPILOGUE xxxxxx**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Tori**

"God, this is so embarrassing!" I hiss while straightening out my dress and trying to smooth out the wrinkles across the red delicate fabric. "Everyone's gonna see-"

"Those who didn't already _hear_." Jade smirks as she attempts to fix her disheveled hair.

"Oh my goodnesss, was I really that loud?" I whisper with a completely mortified expression on my face.

"Aren't you always?" she deadpans with an arched brow, to which I simply frown and let out a sigh. "Hey can you throw me my shirt? It's right there."

I turn to where she's pointing and see the black laced blouse laying carelessly over a small stack of books on a shelf next to me. I quickly toss it to her and begin searching for my heels while she slips on her skirt. I find one of them on the floor under a pile of books that we'd accidently knocked off the shelf. I snatch it up quickly and slip it on before looking for the other one.

"Ha! Check it out Tor!" My head shoots up from behind the small couch I was searching under to see Jade waving something in her hand. "Can you believe we just did what we did in front of this?" she laughs holding up a pamphlet that says '101 Reasons to be Abstinent' on the cover. "I can't believe I never saw this before! Maybe you and I wouldn't have turned out like we did, eh?" She smirks skimming through it.

"Yea, like crazed sexual maniacs with absolutely no self-control?" I grunt getting on all fours so I can look beneath the rows of shelves for my missing shoe.

"Well, you really can't blame me for-"

"You're the _only_ one to blame!" I hiss.

"Oh yea? Well, I didn't hear you complaining just a few minutes ago!" She snaps. "As a matter of fact, I vividly recall you being the one to knock down the 'Civil War Era Encyclopedia Set' with your _enthusiasm_." I turn my gaze and see the pile of books carelessly tossed around on the ground.

"Ugh… And those look like the expensive kind too." I huff, making her laugh, which in turn gets me even angrier. "Well you're the one with the little touches and caresses and just pretty much undressing me with your eyes out there in front of everyone!" I snap.

"And whose fault is that?" She cries while I gape at her in shock.

"_Yours!"_

"No…" she laughs shaking her head and pointing accusingly at me. "You just _had _to go and get a fucking haircut today for this _'special occasion'._" She spits out sarcastically while slowly making her way towards me. "And then to top it off, you decide to wear your goddamned glasses and that little, fucking, red dress that you know – _you know – _drives me fucking _insane..." _She growls forcing me to back up into a bookshelf as she steps forward. "What the fuck did you _think _was gonna happen, Vega?" She whispers, eyes flicking hungrily across my face. I gulp loudly and nervously lift my index finger to push my glasses back into place from where they'd slid down my nose.

"So-so you liked the haircut then?" I squeak, forcing an awkward smile. She responds with an animalistic growl before savagely taking my lips in a heated kiss, using her body to press tightly into mine, which in turn causes several books to fall off the shelf behind me… again. "No… Jade… Stop… We can't – _Jesus –_ They're gonna… call me… up soon…" I manage to pant in-between kisses. She tears her lips away and groans.

"God, tell me why the fuck we're here again?" she cries walking over to where her knee-high boots are laying on the floor.

"It's our high school reunion, Jade." I sigh once again using my hands to smooth out my dress.

"I thought those were after _ten _years, not fucking _eight._" She grunts. "Why not just wait two more years and be like every other normal fucking school out there? I still don't miss anyone enough to want to see them again."

"Well, point is Hollywood Arts does them _eight_ years after graduation, and here we are, ok?" I let out a quiet 'yay' when I spot my shoe sticking out from in-between the cushions of a couch. "And I just couldn't refuse when Lane called and asked me to speak as one of the Honorary Guests." I frown when I hear her scoff. "He would've asked you too if you hadn't said all those mean things to him over the phone." I chastise.

"I thought he was a telemarketer."

"Right… Because 'Hey Jade, this is Lane, your councelor from Hollywood Arts, how are you?' totally sounds like someone selling timeshares..."

"Well, whatever, at least we finally got to have sex in the school's library." She grins wickedly while picking up her purse from the couch. "One more thing to cross off my bucket list." She sends me a wink and begins heading to the door, but before she can get too far I grab her wrist and turn her around to instead pull her back towards me. Her eyes widen in surprise but her hands automatically settle on my hips.

"I'm glad you liked the haircut." I whisper before pressing my lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

"Tor?"

"Hmm?"

"What time's your speech?"

"Seven."

"It's seven o'six."

I rip my lips away from hers with a gasp and hurriedly make my way to the library's back door that leads out to the Asphalt Café where the event is being held.

"Oh chiz, oh chiz, oh chiz!" I mumble as I swing open the door and burst outside, only to immediately freeze in place.

"The… lovely Tori Vega everybody!" I hear Lane awkwardly announce as a bright spotlight along with everyone's eyes set on me, frozen by the door while still holding one of my heels tightly in my hands. "A-and the… the always stunning: Jade West." He quickly adds as said girl leisurely strolls out, calm as can be, stopping to do a small curtsy for the crowd. She then turns around to face me and uses her thumb to wipe the, I'm certain, smeared lipstick off my lips and attempting to tame my, no doubt, unruly hair before pecking me quickly on the cheek, spinning on her heel and nonchalantly walking off towards her table.

The entire quad remains in silence, with a few awkward coughs here and there as I slowly come out of my frozen state and attempt to discreetly slip on my shoe before heading over to the small staircase that leads up to the balcony-like stage. Once there, Lane hands me the microphone and shoots me a small smile before heading down to his table. I clear my throat and bring it to my lips.

"Heeey..." I drawl out stupidly while doing an even more idiotic wave.

"Hiiiiiiiii!" Comes the unmistakable voice of Cat. I look over at our table and see Robbie reach out and gently pull his wife's hand down just as she begins to enthusiastically wave at me. Jade, who is sitting in the seat across from them simply rolls her eyes while Beck and his fiancé, Julie, chuckle quietly beside her. Andre and his girlfriend – Stephanie? No, Rachel. Uh… Patricia! Oh, I don't know, he changes girls every week – simply watch me with sympathetic smiles and nod for me to continue.

"Right." I clear my throat once again and reach for my purse to retrieve the note cards I had prepared only to mentally slap myself when I realize that I left it in the library. "When Lane asked if I would be willing to share my experiences and any wisdom that I might've come across over the few years since we left HA, I thought it'd be a piece of cake!" I chuckle. "After all, I've done more in these past eight years than I ever thought I'd get to do in a lifetime, and for that I am eternally grateful.

"I had written down all I wanted to say on some cute little pink flashcards but I, uh, seem to have… misplaced them… so I'm just gonna do a little improvisation. Though, I really never was very good at it, I'm afraid." I add blushing when out of the corner of my eye I see an even balder Sikowitz nod in agreement.

"For all of us working in the entertainment world, the word 'success' implies a lot of things: talent, recognition, fame, fortune, and so on and so forth. We're taught from the very beginning that we will be forever judged based on whether or not we're accepted, and only then will we be considered successful individuals.

"But to be completely honest with you, I think that's a complete load of chiz." I shrug, eliciting several chuckles and snickers from the audience. "I hate to think that my success will come down to how many albums I sell, what place one of my song makes on the music charts, or how many Grammys I win. And don't get me wrong, those things are all awesome. But it's the road that gets you there that matters...

"If we wanna get technical here, whoever is able to survive more than two years in showbiz is already a success in my book." I smirk. "_That's_ what success is. Overcoming the impossible, whatever the outcome may be, the mere fact that you followed through 'til the end already makes you triumphant." My eyes immediately search for the green ones whose owner makes these words ring loud and true. "Trust me on this," I smile. "I happen to know a little about conquering the impossible…"

**xXx**

_ "Jade?" I turn on my side to face her and delicately run my index finger over her plump lips._

_"Hmm…" she grunts in response. Eyes closed as her hair flutters in the gentle breeze. _

_"Marry me." I whisper after a few seconds, dragging the back of my fingers across the pale skin of her cheek. _

_Her lips twitch into a small smile, eyes remaining shut. _

_"Ok." She whispers back._

_"I'm serious."_

_"So am I," she chuckles. "just like I've been the last fifty times you've asked." _

**xXx**

"The key is knowing exactly what you're after. What you want. What you're willing to give up for it. How much you're willing to fight to get it."

**xXx**

_ "Why can't you just enjoy this lovely day at the park in peaceful silence, Vega?"_

_"Because you're not taking me seriously!" I huff sitting up and crossing my arms tightly across my chest. She folds her arms leisurely behind her head and shoots me an amused smile._

_"I told you I do, Tor." She laughs. "It's the state of California that doesn't." _

_"Well I don't care what the freaking state of California has to say about it." I grumble. "I'm marrying you and that's that."_

**xXx**

"And it's not easy." I shake my head with a grin. "It's not easy at all. You guys know better than anyone else all the crap you have to take from people, all the butt kissing you gotta do, and all the pervs who'll offer you a part in a movie in exchange for you sleeping with them who you have to very politely slap across the face and tell 'em where they can shove it…" Laughter ripples through the audience. "And I guess the question you have to make yourself at that point is: Is it worth it?"

**xXx**

_"Tori, you're being crazy…" Jade laughs pressing her hands to her eyes and letting herself drop back down onto the thin blanket on the grass. _

_"What's so crazy about this?" I demand crawling over and straddling her. _

_"You're asking me to marry you right here, right now, in a park, with that squirrel and two humping dogs as witnesses." She deadpans. _

_"Don't forget the beautiful ring I made you out of dandelions." I add to which she simply rolls her eyes and snickers. "You gotta work with what you're given, Jadielicious." I smirk, placing both hands down on either side of her head. _

_"I think you're just doing this to get out of buying me an _actual_ ring." She teases._

_"I promise you that the moment California decides to stop being a royal gank and allows me to do this for real, I will get you that beautiful black diamond ring you've always wanted." Her eyes light up and a huge smile pulls at her lips. "But until then," I clear my throat and pick up the tiny green ring I had constructed in just under five minutes. "Will you, Jade West, make me, Tori Vega, the happiest, luckiest-"_

_"Corniest."_

_"-girl in the world and marry me?"_

_"You're a dork." She chuckles, eyes staring deeply into mine as she lifts her hand to gently caress the side of my face. "The answer's yes." She whispers. "It's always been yes." I squeal in delight and slide the makeshift ring onto her finger before leaning down and claiming her lips in a passionate kiss._

**xXx**

"So is it worth it?" My gaze meets Jade's once again and my heart swells as I think back to how we came to be. How I fought for her from the very beginning. How I'd fight for her all over again. "Definitely." I whisper, smiling widely when she rests her chin on her propped up left hand and I see the beautiful black rock shining elegantly on her fourth finger. "Because nothing that is worth getting will ever be easy to obtain." She sends me a knowing smile, her eyes reflecting the same love and adoration displayed on mine. "You'll have to be strong and determined, willing to fight and take a few hits yourself. Because the best things in life, our greatest successes, the events that lead us to a victorious existence…" I sigh, glancing one last time at my greatest victory, at the girl who once stood my adversary, and now stands as my entire reason for living. "Are often found, behind enemy lines…"

**FIN**

* * *

**AN: So now, as a parting gift, what do you say you present me with a review? Pretty please? Even those of you who never reviewed before, if you liked the story (or didn't U_U) it would mean the world to me to hear from you.**

**Awww guys! Imma miss you! :( I really don't have any plans for future fics at the moment... I'd love to write again. But I'll probably take a break for a while since this little monster took quite a toll on me over the past four months :S No seriously, you guys are troopers for sticking with it, this story is freaking _long_! Haha! I might build on that one-shot I posted way back when, Falling In Hate With You. Maybe make it into a two-shot or something? Not sure. But you should check it out if you haven't ;) **

**And again, thank you, thank you, _thank you_ to all of you who reviewed and/or favorited-followed. You guys are amazing and truly the only reason I pulled through with this 'til the end :P I love you all. **

**I hope that any time you guys watch _Locked Up!_ from now on you'll remember this story, and your good ol' friend Wikster :) I know that episode will forever hold deeper meaning to me after this, because now I'll know what _truly _happened at Yerba T_T**

******Until we meet again, PLUR ON my friends! :D **

**********And always remember: Love much, Fuck more; Someone gives you trouble? _Fuck that whore!_** ;)


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